


Anima Mirabantur

by starrynightfantasies



Category: Loki laufeyson - Fandom
Genre: AU Loki - Freeform, AU of the AU of the AU TH, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Black cat love, Cat Loki, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Good Loki, Illusions, Insecurity, Jealous Loki (Marvel), Jotun Loki smut, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Khan is a little shit, Kitten, Loki Angst, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Has Issues, Loki Needs a Hug, Lokitty, Make that EVENTUAL smut, NSFW, Smut, The American frat boy asshole anti-TH, These two are ridiculous, Thomas is the anti-TH, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, au tom, fem!Loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 14:29:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8017570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightfantasies/pseuds/starrynightfantasies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki has been posing as the All-father for a few months, but now Thor knows something is amiss. He must escape Asgard without anyone knowing. He decides to go back to Midgard in the form of a cat and is adopted by a single woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title credited to: @spiderman2289  
> Anima Mirabantur- Latin- Wondering Soul

Loki had always known he would get caught.

It was only a matter of time before someone found out he wasn't  _actually_ deceased. Posing as the All-father had served no real purpose other than giving him perverse joy. It had been his way of spitting in Odin's face without actually, well,  _spitting in Odin's face_. 

Now he was forced to initiate phase two of his plan. If his oaf of a brother had not shacked up with a useless mortal, he wouldn't be in this predicament. But Thor's incessant roaming on Midgard had led him straight into Odin's new home- a street corner in Manhattan. Unfortunately for Loki, Thor had recognized the old man immediately, even dressed as a hobo, and the entire palace was in an uproar. The fortunate part was that they were all foolish enough to believe that the  _hobo_ was Loki in disguise. Therefore, Loki had precious few hours to escape before everyone discovered the truth. 

Loki chuckled to himself as he pictured the look on the old man's face when Thor undoubtedly jerked him up from his corner and threatened to end his life. Odin had no idea who  _he_ was, let alone his adoptive son. Thor would have quite the web to untangle before learning the entire truth, and by that time, Loki himself would have pulled a vanishing act, just like always. 

As he paced back and forth in front of the throne he had procured only a few months ago, he contemplated how he would make his escape.

He knew that hiding anywhere on Asgard was out of the question because as soon as Odin regained his memory, he would send search parties who would scour the entire realm looking for him.

Vanaheim was also out- there were far too many of his scorned lovers in that wretched realm.

He supposed he could go to Hel. His daughter  _did_ run the place, and it would be easy to reach since Sleipnir could carry him there without the use of a portal. Shaking his head, he set that idea to the side, hoping he wouldn't actually have to resort to such measures. 

He didn't even want to consider Jotunheim for obvious reasons. There was some- _awkwardness_ \- there to say the very least. 

And if he were to go to Midgard, he would certainly have to disguise himself. The  _good_ people of "Earth" didn't much care for him these days, and he definitely didn't want any more trouble from those blasted Avengers. 

 

 

 

Adrienne was late for class.  _Really_  late. And now there was a noise coming from underneath the hood of her car. _Great_. 

She glanced at her watch. There was absolutely no way she could make it to campus, find a parking place, and hike the half-mile to her class before her professor took attendance. _Why_ was she always running late to  _this_ class? She enjoyed Astronomy. She really did. But the professor; an older Russian man with an accent as thick as grease paint, was a stickler for tardiness, and if a student was  _one minute_ late, they were counted absent. She shook her head, deciding to save herself the embarrassment and stay home. 

Another sound from the car made her stop before climbing the stairs back to her apartment.  

It was a strange  _scratching_ sound that she almost didn't even want to investigate. The very last thing she needed at the moment was  _one more thing_. Especially if it was a damn mouse infestation in her engine compartment. She didn't know much about cars, but she did know that cars didn't make noise when they weren't running. And mice weren't good for fuel injectors. 

Just as she was about to push the car and the noise to the back of her mind to worry about another day, she heard another noise. This time, it was a small, scared  _mewl_. 

 _A kitten!_  

 

 

Earlier that morning, Loki had finally decided Midgard was the...lesser of eight evils. Having been there before, he chose to transform himself into an animal native to virtually every part of the dilapidated realm; a common house cat. Actually, he preferred starting as a kitten, since he knew most mortals just couldn't resist them. Being tiny, furry, and adorable would practically ensure him a warm place to sleep later that night. 

_Probably even on top of some cute mortal's soft breasts._

Unfortunately, he had already had a run-in with the neighbor's dog; a hulking bull dog by the name of "Butch." That was precisely why he was hanging onto the _heart?_... _brain?..._ epicenter... of an automobile, mewling and scratching for all he was worth in an attempt to get _someone's_ attention.  

 _I never should have called Romanov a "mewling quim..." The mortals are correct. Karma_ IS _a bitch._

 

 

"Kitten? Are you in there?" Adrienne called as she lifted the hood of her car. She had absolutely no idea where to begin looking for the animal, but she knew she couldn't leave it in there. 

 _Clearly I am, mortal. I just called out to you, didn't I?_ Loki mewled again. 

Loki idly wondered if he could actually roll his eyes in cat form. 

"Where are you? Come on out, and I'll get you a nice bowl of milk," Adrienne crooned. 

_Is that supposed to entice me?_

Loki let out a long meow, and Adrienne ducked her head further into the engine. Suddenly, she saw a black fuzzy tail. It was ramrod straight due to the fact that the kitten was barely holding onto one of the hoses under the hood. 

"Aww...you're in quite the predicament, aren't you little one?"

 _Did you really just call me 'little one,' mortal?_  Loki hissed.

Tentatively, so as not to frighten the kitten, she reached her hand down into the engine to grasp the tiny kitten around its midsection. To her surprise, it didn't put up a fight. It simply hung limply from her hand. 

It was the most adorable kitten Adrienne had ever seen; with fluffy raven fur and almost  _intelligent_ looking green eyes. Its stare was so intense, it unnerved her. 

"How'd you get stuck in there, little..." she turned the kitten around, hoping to catch a glimpse under its tail, but it spat at her so violently, she startled. 

"...um, sorry. I didn't mean to offend. Just wanted to use the correct pronoun." 

She rubbed the kitten behind its ears, and it seemed to relax in her hand, so she pressed it closer to her chest and started up the stairs to her apartment. 

 _Ah, that's better. Yes, you're very soft here._ Loki purred contentedly. 

 

 

_To be continued..._

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Adrienne set the kitten down on her couch and headed to the kitchen for a saucer of milk. When she returned, she was surprised to find that it had jumped up on her coffee table and was sitting in the middle of today's newspaper; staring at the page as if it was...reading. 

 _Nope. No. It has been a very trying morning, and...you're nuts._  

"Here you go, little one," she sang, "the milk I promised you!" 

 _One moment, mortal. Can't you see I'm in the middle of- ah, right, cats don't read. Damn._  

Loki jumped down from his place on the table and began dutifully lapping up the milk she had brought. He might have enjoyed it, too if it weren't for the nagging worry in the back of his mind. He had made quite an entrance that morning, and he was afraid he had shown up on Shield's radar. He would have to find a way to read the news in peace. He hoped there had been a  _much_ bigger disturbance somewhere else on the planet. Maybe then, no one would have noticed the large hole he had opened in the sky. 

Loki startled when he felt a hand come down on his back, but the girl soon began gently stroking his fur, and a strange noise emanated from his throat. 

_What's this? Not a growl...She seems to enjoy it...Whatever it is, I can't seem to help it. Hmmf._

"Awww, you like that don't you, little one? You have the sweetest little purr. Do you like your milk?"

 _Obviously, mortal. And **stop calling me 'Little One!'**_  

_...Wait, did she say 'purr'?_

The girl sat down on the floor beside him and continued her petting, much to Loki's bitter delight. He hated that he  _enjoyed it so much._

"Okay. You need a name. But before I give you a name, I kinda need to know if you're a boy or a girl. You see, I really don't want to call you 'Annie' or something equally feminine if you've got..." While she was talking and stroking the kitten's fur, she snuck a peek under its tail. "Yep. Just as I suspected. A boy." 

 _Did she just...?_  

Suddenly, the kitten turned and smacked at her with its tiny paw, glaring at her as if she had done something dispicable. 

"Well, I'm  _sorry!_ But now I can give you a name..." 

Adrienne was completely unnerved by the way the kitten was staring at her. His eyes were so bright; so intelligent, she could swear he was actually angry at her for taking a look. Tentatively, she reached out a hand, but he let out a low growl, so she quickly pulled back, afraid he would scratch her. 

"Wow, you are feisty. Okay, then. What shall we call you?" 

 _Anything but 'little one.' And stop trying to molest me. We aren't there yet, darling._  

He was looking at her with the strangest expression; one ear looked like it was cocked backward just a bit while his eyes were still glaring. It was almost  _sarcastic_. 

"You look like a tiny panther. And you're just as feisty as one... I don't know any panther names though. Maybe we'll call you Shere Khan. Just Khan for short. Yeah. I like that. Khan. That suits you. You don't mind having a cool villain name, do you?" 

 _Perceptive, aren't you mortal?_  

The kitten mewled at her, long and low, and she accepted it as his agreement. 

 

 

Loki was trying his best to act natural, not knowing how house cats generally behaved. He didn't want Adrienne to catch on that he wasn't exactly  _feline_. So, when she flipped on the television and told him she had to study, but that she would turn the channel to something  _just for him_ , he was excited to see  _rea_ _l_ cats on the screen. 

He sat in front of the TV and dutifully watched as the silly animals fought, mauled, and cuddled each other as well as their human companions. 

Then he saw something that made his blood run cold. He turned to stare at Adrienne until she looked up from her books. 

 _I am NOT using one of those boxes filled with clay bits. I mean it, girl. I am a GOD. I will not be subjected to that. And I most certainly will not be covering up my own waste by digging a hole. You will allow me to use your facility._  

Adrienne was caught off-guard by the kitten's sudden meowing. He was really belting it out, and she couldn't figure out why. 

"What's the matter, Khan? Are you wondering where  _your_ litter box is? I haven't got one yet, so I guess I could take you outside..." 

Loki was utterly horrified. 

 _Outside?!?! What are you thinking, mortal? People will see!_  

Adrienne watched, transfixed, as the kitten mewled with everything he had. She reached down, scooping him into her arms and stroking his fur as he protested with wild smacks of his tiny paws. 

"You know, Khan, you really are the strangest kitten I've ever met. I have no idea what's upsetting you so much, but I  _do_ know that we need to make a run to Petsmart. We need supplies. And don't think for a moment that I'm going to leave you here so you can destroy my curtains while I'm gone." 

_Why in the Nine would I destroy your curtains?_

 

 

Meanwhile in Asgard, things were  _tense_ , to say the very least. Thor had brought Odin home thinking  _he_ was Loki in disguise, but Odin continued to deny any knowledge of his past, and Thor finally realized that he might have been wrong. He suddenly felt extremely chagrined for the way he had treated Odin while they were on Midgard... 

_"Brother, I know it's you. Hiding out here dressed as father! You should be ashamed of yourself!"_

_"I- I don't know what you're talking about. Who are you? I'm far too old to be your brother. Just leave an old man to his dinner."_

_"Oh, no. You're coming with me, brother. I have had it with your tricks. When father sees what you've done, you will never leave the dungeons."_

_Odin had looked at him like he truly had no idea what was going on, but Thor didn't believe his expression for a moment. He had been played by Loki one too many times to fall for his tricks again. He jerked the imposter Odin up from his place on the ground and immediately yelled for Heimdall to open the bifrost._

When he brought Odin to Eir, his suspicions were confirmed;  _this_ was the  _real_ Odin, but he didn't remember his own name, much less how to be the king of Asgard. Now that Frigga was gone, there was only one sorcerer in all the Nine Realms who was powerful enough to wreak such havoc on the All-Father's brain. 

 _"Loki!"_   Thor bellowed, loud enough to shake the walls of the palace. 

 

 

Loki was sitting in what appeared to be some sort of pet throne on wheels as his human shopped for "supplies." He was quite enjoying this treatment; being petted all the time, served cold milk in a saucer, and even carried around like a tiny furry king.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. It was as if he could  _hear_ someone yelling his name. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

"Awww are you cold, Khan? It must be tough being that small," Adrienne giggled, stroking the kitten's ears. 

Loki leaned into her touch, trying to shake the sudden anxiety out of his mind. There was no way anyone from Asgard could  _possibly_ locate him here. Not in the form of a kitten, anyway. 

"You're trembling... are you alright little one? Is it the crowds? I have everything we need; kitten chow, canned food in case you don't like the dry stuff, a brand new water bowl, a litter box, some litter,  _and_ the cutest little collar I have  _ever_ seen! Let's get out of here. I don't want to stress you out on your first day." 

_Dear gods, girl... if you don't stop calling me **LITTLE ONE!**_

The kitten mewled, long and low, and Adrienne laughed. 

"Okay, okay... we'll go home now." 

 

When they arrived at Adrienne's apartment, she set out a bowl of water and opened a can of the food she had bought, placing it in front of Khan. She expected him to be hungry, but he just sat there staring at her. It was as if he was expecting something more. 

"What's wrong? Don't you like the fish flavor? I've never met a cat that  _didn't_ prefer the fish flavor..." 

Loki was eyeing the pile of mush she had called 'food,' and he didn't prefer it  _at all_. It had the most unbelievably pungent stench; unlike any  _fish_ he had ever allowed between his lips. He walked around and around the bowl in an attempt to catch a more pleasant aroma from the mush, but the more he paced, the worse it smelled. 

_That's it, mortal. I am most certainly **not**  eating this. What is it even made of? It smells like--like--_

Khan was mewling and growling slightly, and Adrienne was once again baffled by his behavior. 

"Aren't you hungry? Will you at least eat some dry food? Here, let me get some of that too..." 

_Oh, by all means, mortal. Drag out some other foul smelling concoction._

Adrienne poured some dry cat food into a bowl and set it down in front of the kitten, hoping he would eat that instead. 

"You had better eat one of those, Khan. I love you, but I'm not going to go out there to catch a mouse for you to devour!" 

  _A mouse? Why would I...?_

 _Did you just say you **love** me, mortal?_  

Suddenly, the kitten fell over on his back, rubbing his face all over Adrienne's bare feet. His tiny purr was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. 

"No, no, no! I am absolutely  _not_ doing that, Khan!" She giggled. 

Loki did his very best to mimic the movements of the cats he had seen on television earlier that day. He wanted to show her how much it meant to him that she actually  _cared_ for him. 

When he stood back up, he looked at the food again, then stuck his nose into the air. 

 _I adore you as well, but I'm still not eating this...this... muck._  

In typical cat style, Khan stiffened his tail, turned, and walked away, leaving Adrienne staring after him. 

"Well, if you're not going to eat the kitten chow I bought for you, maybe you'll eat something else? You  _have_ to eat, Khan. How about some tuna? Will you eat some tuna?" 

 

Loki's ears tickled as she half-sang her last question in his direction. He never understood why mortals liked to talk to their pets in such a manner, but it set his nerves on edge. He ran toward her hoping she wouldn't do it again. 

"Here, kitty kitty kitty!" She sang. 

_Cripes, girl. Can't you see that I am on my way? These short little legs will only go so fast..._

The tuna actually smelled edible, so Loki ate it in greedy bites. He hadn't eaten anything since leaving Asgard, so he was famished. Unfortunately, one can of tuna was not enough to satisfy him even in kitten form. 

 

 Adrienne squatted down beside Khan and began stroking his fur while he ate, but as soon as he was done, he began meowing again. He lapped at the plate, then looked at her with big green pleading eyes. 

"Geez Khan, are you still hungry?" 

She reached down to touch his belly, but he was  _not_ happy about it. He swatted at her hand, hissing violently. 

"Okay, okay... more tuna for you." 

  _Damn right. And how **dare** you try to touch my...my... Just don't do it again. Are we clear, human?_  

Adrienne giggled at the kitten's excited mewling as she went to the kitchen for more food. 

 

"Okay Khan," Adrienne sang in a slightly condesending voice, "I set your litter box up in the bathroom, so let's go take a look. I don't want any  _incidents_."

The kitten's eyes rolled up toward her in the most unsettlingly sarcastic manner, and she could barely look in his direction.  _Does he actually resent having to use a litter box?_

"Hey, who do you think you are? A king? Let's go!" 

Khan growled as well as a tiny kitten can, and all of the hair on his back stood on end. 

 _Know your place mortal! I **am** a king!_  

He spat at her before begrudgingly following her into the bathroom. 

"Here it is, sire. Your throne awaits you!" She said with a wave of her hand. 

Another harsh hiss came from behind her, followed by a low growl. 

"You're a temperamental little shit, aren't you? I guess you're living up to your namesake..." Adrienne murmured as she stroked his fur. 

Despite Loki's attitude, he was beginning to feel an impending... _need_. But he sure as hell wasn't going to do his business in front of her, so he tried his best to run her out of the bathroom by circling around and around her feet. When that didn't work, he began growling at her again, throwing in an occasional hissing threat. Finally, as embarrassing as it was, he placed his tiny paw on the edge of the litter box and scratched at it, looking up at her and silently imploring her to  _get the hell out_. 

"It's okay, Khan...just climb on in."

Loki kept looking at her, pleading with her to leave. 

Adrienne stared at the kitten for a few seconds, wondering why he wasn't just stepping over the edge of the box. Then it hit her. 

"Oh.  _Oh!_ You're shy, aren't you? Okay, then. I'll see you in a minute." 

 _Thank the Norns!_  

 

Loki was grateful for the privacy, but he was even more grateful that she'd left the toilet lid up the last time she had exited the bathroom. He was almost positive the Midgardian contraption hadn't changed in the last few years. He may be a kitten, but he would  _find_   _a way_ to make the damn thing flush. 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Loki was precariously balanced on the edge of the toilet seat; one front paw resting on the countertop while the other worked to reach the silver lever that would erase the evidence that he'd ever used the contraption...

 

Meanwhile in Asgard...

"Father, do you remember  _anything_? Anything at all? How did you fall to Midgard?" 

Thor was certain he already knew the answer, but he was trying however feebly not to bait the All-Father into giving him false information in his confused state. 

Odin's gaze flickered up to his son, his eyes cloudy. 

"A guard. From...from...where did you go? You went  _somewhere_ with Loki...and the guard came to tell me of Loki's passing." 

A look passed over Odin's face; one that Thor recognized but did not want to acknowledge until Odin suddenly started laughing. 

"What do you find so humorous, father?" He asked, his voice tinged with anger. 

"I was actually-- relieved," he cackled, "until I woke up on Midgard...I still don't know what happened. You would think Odin All-Father would be capable of sussing out the details, would you not?" 

Odin continued his laughing, not bothering to notice Thor glaring at him; his nostrils flared, face red with rage. 

"Excuse me, but I have some...business to attend to," Thor grunted before storming out of Odin's chambers. 

 

 

 _"DAMMIT, LOKI!_ You were right! You're  _always right_ in the end!" Thor yelled, clutching the sides of his face.

He had gone to his own chambers for some privacy. The emotions swirling around his head were a confusing mixture: anger at Odin for his lack of empathy for Loki, anger at Loki for causing him  _so much pain_ , empathy for Odin because he was clearly not sane at the moment, and anger at himself for actually  _giving a damn_ about Loki.  _After everything he had done_. 

_"WHY DO I STILL GIVE A FUCK, LOKI? **WHY?** " _

And then he was angry at himself for screaming at the ceiling, where his wayward brother absolutely could  _not_ hear him. Wherever he was. 

 

 

_Norns, who keeps calling my name?_

That was the last conscious thought Loki had before his tiny furry body hit the water. 

_Fuck me, that is cold!_

Loki didn't climb out. He  _flew_ out of the bowl. He'd had no idea this Midgardian mammal's body could move so quickly and at such an angle without anything to grab onto. He didn't quite understand the sudden fear gripping his chest, making him feel as though he was choking. He was a very skilled swimmer, but he was beginning to think taking the form of a kitten was giving him some unwanted side effects. 

 

Adrienne heard a high-pitched squeal and a loud splash followed by several softer sloshing noises. In the next second she saw a blur of wet black fur fly by her at a very high rate of speed, dampening everything in its wake. 

"Holy shit, Khan! What  _happened_ to you?" She squeaked as she chased the soggy kitten around the room. 

It was clear he was now looking for a place to hide, but she was not  _about_ to let him burrow in her couch cushions while soaked in what could only be toilet water. 

 _Your Midgardian contraption in there tried to swallow me, mortal! I am a GOD! You'll pay for this!_  

Even as the mewls left Loki's throat, he knew how crazy his thoughts were. He just couldn't stop the rising hysteria he felt.  _Who had been calling his name again? Why was he suddenly terrified of water?_  

 

"Khan...kitty kitty... come here baby... I'll get you all dried off and warm," Adrienne cooed at him from a crouching position a few feet away. 

He had finally run out of steam and was backed up against the wall, hissing at her. His fur was matted around his face, making his bright green eyes appear as though they glowed. 

"Come on, sweetie. I'll dry you and get you some warm milk. It's okay," she whispered, trying to coax him away from the wall. 

Khan took a tentative step toward her, watching her closely, as if he feared she would toss another bucket of freezing cold water on him just for fun. 

"That's it, little one. You're okay..." 

 _Now is hardly the time to call me that, mortal._  

He let out one more fierce hiss before trudging into her waiting hands and allowing her to pick him up. Carrying him into the bathroom, she wrapped him in a towel and cradled him in her arms like a baby. 

_Don't get used to this, mortal._

"You had better not get used to this, cutie. I don't use my nice towels on my animal friends very often."

_Animal...hmmf._

Khan was still growling softly, but Adrienne was determined to show the little drifter some TLC. He clearly needed the attention.

"You know Khan, you are the _strangest_ kitten I have ever met. Most cats would immediately begin licking themselves clean if they had a mishap like yours. Not you. _No way_... you take off like a wet bullet through my nice clean apartment..." 

 _Licking themselves? Are you saying you expected me to lick toilet water from my fur, human?_   _Ehehehe.... **No.**_

 

 

After a much anticipated dish of warm milk; something Loki was beginning to crave in his kitten form, he found himself feeling quite drowsy. Soon he was curled up on the couch beside Adrienne with his back pressed against her leg. Obviously, it was only for her warmth. He wasn't becoming _attached_ to her or anything...

 

Thor still couldn't believe Odin's callous reaction to Loki's supposed death. He _was_ out of his mind at the moment, but it was obvious he rememered how he'd felt when the "guard" told him of Loki's passing. Thor had a sneaking suspicion he knew who the guard had been. He could almost picture the mischievous eyes the man must have had as he approached the All-Father, fully aware he was fooling everyone. 

_Dammit, Loki...I watched you die. I held you. I comforted you. Whether you believe it or not, I mourned for-- well, until I found Odin and realized you weren't actually deceased, I hadn't stopped mourning._

_And you were right all along... Odin really does hold no regard for you at all. Perhaps I really do need to take the throne now._

It was only a moment before Thor realized he hadn't actually been speaking to Odin when he'd turned it down.

Suddenly, he was angry all over again. He banged his fist on the table in front of him; once again yelling his brother's name at the skies. 

 

 

Loki's eyes flew open when he heard his name.

_Who the...?_

He glanced around, making sure that Adrienne hadn't said his real name. _That_ would be a disaster. 

Then it hit him.

_Ah...Thor. Do shut up. I was trying to sleep._

_Oh, and good luck finding me, oaf._

He smirked to himself as well as a kitten can before drifting back to sleep next to his new human friend.  

 


	5. Chapter 5

It was 3 AM, and Khan was racing back and forth between Adrienne's living room and her bedroom door.  

_Thump thump thump thump---- crash. Thump thump thump thump--- crash._

She could only assume from the noises he was producing that he was running across her rug, then wrecking out when he hit the linoleum flooring in the hallway and slamming into her bedroom door. Evidently it was a  _ton_ of fun because he had been at it for approximately 30 minutes with no end in sight. 

"Khan!" 

_Thump thump thump thump--- crash. Thump thump thump thump---_

"Khan,  _damnit!"_

_Crash._

 

 _Get your ass up, human. I'm going to starve to death in here!_  

 

A loud mewl came from the hallway, followed by more thumping and another loud crash. 

"Fuck. I have to be up at SEVEN!" Adrienne yelled as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. 

As soon as she opened the bedroom door, Khan skidded into the room as if he were on two legs; mewling for all he was worth. 

 

_Please, mortal. I shall perish soon. Food. Now._

 

"Geez, Khan! What is it? Are you scared, little one?" 

 " _Little one_ ,"Loki parroted in a mocking voice, which came out only as a whiney meow. 

  _Dammit, woman! I'm starving!_  

He ran to the kitchen and scratched at one of the cupboards, staring up at her with the most pathetic eyes he could muster. 

"Awww... of  _course_ you're hungry. Your tiny wittle belly doesn't hold that much!" Adrienne cooed. 

_Stop it this instant, mortal scum. Baby talk is definitely not something I will abide by._

 

Adrienne opened a can of tuna and watched as Khan ate huge mouthfuls at an alarming rate. When he was finished, she started walking toward her bedroom with Khan close at her heels. 

"Now Khan, you have to sleep out here. I know if I let you in, you'll just knead me all night, and I won't get any rest."

 _Knead you? Like dough? Why on Earth would I do that?_  

Adrienne tried to put up a good fight. She really did. But looking into the kitten's big sad green eyes destroyed her resolve, and in the end, he was lying on top of her, stealing all of her body heat. 

_Ahh yes. Your big soft breasts do make excellent pillows, my dear._

 

 

 

Thor had never wanted to admit that Loki was more intelligent than he was, even though Thor was stronger. However after careful consideration over the last few days, he was finally able to relent. Lokiwas  _far more intelligent_ than he had ever thought possible. 

_He may even outsmart Odin..._

Thor shook his head at that blasphemous thought. If the All-father heard him, he would never forgive him. Loki's trickery was no match for Odin's wise rule... at least that's what Thor told himself. 

When Loki tried to take over Midgard, Thor had assumed he'd had help from outside sources- the Tesseract's influence, for example. Now, he was beginning to rethink that assumption. The only thing stopping him from believing Loki was behind the entire event was the simple fact that Loki had  _lost_. If Loki lost, he had  _meant_ to lose. 

Thor never would have believed that before now, especially knowing the Avengers' considerable strength, but Loki had single-handedly managed to trick the  _entire kingdom_ into believing  _he_ was the All-father. For  _months_. There had never been a moment in Thor's long life when he felt...mentally incompetent... but this sudden  _awareness_ was almost too much for him to bear. 

Thor had also assumed that the moment Loki had unimpeded access to the throne, he would become the tyrant everyone expected him to be, but that simply had not been the case. Loki wasn't trying to mirror Odin's rule, either. Upon speaking with several residents of Asgard, Thor found that there had been some very subtle differences in Loki's leadership; differences that  _benefited_ the kingdom. 

To say that Thor was confused was the understatement of the century. He simply _had_ to find Loki. He needed to get to the bottom of this.  

 

 

 

When Loki woke, Adrienne was gone. He spent a few moments searching the apartment for her, mewling in a blind panic before remembering what she had yelled at him the night before: 

 _"I have to be up at SEVEN!"_  

He suddenly hated himself for caring what happened to the mortal woman. He told himself he was simply worried he wouldn't be fed if she disappeared, but he knew that wasn't the case. He could easily escape the apartment and find another host. He just didn't  _want_ to. 

_It would be far too inconvenient to find someone else now...Although maybe they wouldn't keep calling me 'little one' all damn day. Yes, that's it. Inconvenience._

 

Later that evening when Adrienne came home, there was someone else with her. 

A man. 

A man that Loki immediately hated. 

For absolutely no reason. 

 

"Hello Khan! I  _missed_ you today, little one!" Adrienne cooed. 

 _Who is this mortal scum you have brought to our inner sanctum?_  

Khan mewled loudly and began stalking around and around her boyfriend's feet. 

"Oh, Thomas, I think he likes you!" 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Thomas was a reprehensible  _prick_. 

At least, that's what Loki thought of him. He couldn't quite figure out why he hated Thomas so much. Was it the ridiculously floofy dark blonde hair? The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled at Adrienne? The fact that he was as tall as most of the apple trees on Asgard? Loki wasn't sure, but he knew that Thomas was now his mortal enemy. He would use his tiny kitten claws to murder that mortal man if he had to. 

"Where did you find this adorable little guy, Adrienne? Is he another one of your rescues?" 

Thomas kept trying to capture and pet Loki without success. It infuriated Loki that Thomas seemed to like  _him_. 

 _Oh Hel no! Your gargantuan hands shall not be stroking my fur, mortal!_  

"Why is he growling at you? Did you do something to piss him off already?" Adrienne asked as she rounded the corner from the kitchen. 

 _He pissed me off by existing_. 

"Does he not do this regularly? All I did was try to pet the little guy."

Thomas looked directly at Loki and held out his hand once more. 

"I promise I won't hurt you, Khan. I know I'm bigger than Adrienne, but I'm a bit gentler too," he chuckled. Adrienne slapped at his shoulder, giggling.

Loki scoffed. _Hurt me? You couldn't hurt me if you tried, bean pole!_ He jumped toward Thomas with all four feet, hissing and spitting at the same time. 

"Geez! He _really_ hates you!" Adrienne laughed. 

 

Thomas stayed and stayed and _stayed_ , and Loki had decided to finally  _do_ something about it when Adriene yawned loudly, took Thomas' hand, and led him toward her bedroom. When Loki tried to follow, as he always did, Adrienne closed the door behind her before he could go inside. 

 _Adrienne? Human? I believe you forgot something..._  

He tried scratching at the door, but no one came to let him in. He tried mewling as loudly as he could, calling Thomas every name he could think of, knowing he couldn't understand him in his tiny kitten voice. Still no one came to let him in.

 _But...she's my human. Mine._  

 

When Adrienne returned from school the next day, Khan  _still_ wasn't interested in her. That morning, she'd found him asleep outside her bedroom door. His tiny furry back was pressed against the crack at the bottom of the door so that when she opened it, he nearly fell into her room. He looked  _beyond_ offended when he stood up, stretched his legs, and stalked away from her; not even sparing a backward glance for her. 

"Khan, I have some tuna for you," she called in her usual sing-song voice. But Khan didn't bother coming to her. He sat across the room glaring at her as if she had done something unforgivable. 

 _How dare you lock me out last night, mortal? One day, I will rule this realm, and you will call me your king!_  

He mewled loudly, and Adrienne almost expected to see him running toward his bowl like he always did, but she was disappointed once again. 

"What did I  _do_ , little one? Why are you so mad at me?"

_I'm afraid you'll need to sit down for this list, mortal. And for the love of Asgard, stop calling me LITTLE ONE._

There he sat, over in the corner of the room, glaring at her for all he was worth. Rather than continue to call him, she finally walked over and lifted him up off of the floor, cuddling him close to her chest. 

_Woah. Wait just a damn...  What is this strange vibrating...?_

"Aw, you see? You're purring. I knew you'd come around. I'm sorry I locked you out last night, but... the last kitty kinda hurt Thomas. You know how you guys love to smack at anything that dangles..." 

_Remind me to thank the entirety of the feline population for castrating that mortal. Ehehehe..._

"I swear, Khan, you look amused... you cats are so vindictive. I don't know why I love you guys so much." 

 

 

A few hours later, Adrienne was attempting to do her homework while Khan lay across her lap. He had been waiting for Thomas to return, hoping he could get in a few lashes of his own. His ears perked up when he heard a familiar voice next door. 

 _"_ Have you seen this man? Or maybe a female who looks a lot like him?"

 _Thor. Shit!_  

He leapt off of Adrienne's lap and flew into her bedroom as fast as his legs could carry him. He wasn't sure if Thor could sense his presence, but he didn't want to take a chance on it. He knew Adrienne's would be the next door Thor knocked on, so he wanted to be out of sight when that happened. 

Seconds later, the anticipated loud banging came and Adrienne answered the door. 

"Woah. Hel-lo! What can I do for you?"

"Um, I was wondering... well, I was wondering if you had seen this man? Or if you have seen a female who looks like him?"

_Evidently Thor has a photograph..._

"No, but I would like to. Who is he? Is he some kind of medeival hero? A king or something? God, he's gorgeous!" 

Loki felt his chest swell with pride, and he peeked around the corner just to get a look at his brother's face. Thor was scowling. 

"He's my brother, and he's highly dangerous, so if you see him you should probably steer clear of him, ma'am." 


	7. Chapter 7

"Highly dangerous, huh... he sounds like just my type," Adrienne muttered just after she closed the door. 

That huge blonde had looked strangely familiar to her, though she couldn't quite place him. Shrugging, she turned to look for Khan. Evidently, he wasn't too fond of strangers. 

 _So, my human likes highly dangerous men. This could get...interesting._ Loki's eavesdropping knew no bounds, especially in cat form. He'd known Thor would come looking for him, and he honestly didn't give a flying fig, but having Adrienne as an ally sounded quite tempting. 

"Khan?  _Kitty kitty kitty!_ " Adrienne called. 

_Norns, mortal. That voice must stop! I'm going to piss in your shoes if you don't shut up._

 

Nonetheless, Loki ran toward her voice knowing he would be fed. He was starving. He idly wondered whether keeping the form of a cat was draining more than just his magical battery. 

While he ate, Adrienne's phone rang. He was absolutely fed up with all of these distractions. Every time he had her full attention, something or some _one_ took it away again. Currently, he heard the  _someone_ he detested more than even Thor talking to her on the line. 

_"You know, Adrienne, if you plan on keeping Khan, he's at the perfect age to get him neutered. They say six to eight weeks is appropriate for males, and he looks to be a bit older actually..."_

Loki stopped listening at that point. There was absolutely  _no fucking way_ he was allowing this mortal to  _neuter_ him. Not even in kitten form. He had wondered when this time would come, but hoped it wouldn't be so soon. 

 

 

 

Adrienne watched as Khan ran back inside her bedroom. She was still holding her phone to her ear, but had tuned Thomas out after the first few minutes. He liked babbling on and on about Shakespeare, and she had zero interest in the man. Still, Thomas was adorable, and he was always so very attentive even if he did hate her more rebellious side. Her smart mouth, bad habits, and her tendency to protest the implied authority he had over her because he had been born with a dick...Thomas hated all of those things. 

Just inside Adrienne's bedroom, Loki made his decision. He took a deep breath and stepped out the door... As himself- naked as the day he was born. She would either accept him as the  _highly dangerous_ man she'd always dreamed of, or she would throw him out. Either way, he could find some other cute human female to take him in. Females loved kittens even if they didn't always love him. 

Adrienne screamed and dropped her phone, but Loki just stood there. He motioned for her to pick it up, so she did- keeping her eyes trained on him at all times. He pointed to his mouth and whispered, "Tell him you saw a mouse," and he made a little scurrying motion with his fingertips.

"S-sorry Thomas...I saw a mouse. I guess that's why Khan ran into the bedroom so quickly... I'll-I'll just call you back later." 

 

 

 

She hadn't the slightest clue why she listened to him. He could be a killer for all she knew, but she just had this  _feeling_. There was something in those eyes that she recognized. Still, she was a bit pissed off that he was there. In the nude. 

Setting her phone on the counter, she yelled, "Who _are_ you, and what the _fuck_  are you doing in my apartment?! _Naked?!_ _Why are you naked?_ "

Loki held his hands out in a submissive gesture, smiling gently. 

"I'm sorry, love. Really. But I wasn't going to allow your imbecile boyfriend to have me neutered. And as for my nudity..." He lifted his eyebrows, "I didn't think cats wore clothing in this realm...?" 

His question hung in the air for a moment, and she didn't quite know which part of it to address first. The part where he thought he was a cat, or... _in this realm_. It was as if he had  _been_ to another planet where cats wore clothing. 

Adrienne was dreaming. That had to be it. There was no other explanation. She decided to just play along with her subconscious on this one. 

 

 

_"Khan?"_

Loki smiled as disarmingly as he could. "Actually, Adrienne, it's Loki. I couldn't exactly tell you that while I was feline though, could I?"

Adrienne didn't even blink. She _had_ to be dreaming... Didn't she? God, he was gorgeous though. Those lean muscles, and all that black hair... How tall was he? 6'4"? And damn, but he had some righteous thighs. Since this  _was_ a dream, Adrienne thought, she should  _do_ him. 

"Enjoying the view?" Loki asked cheekily, winking at her.

She blushed as her gaze slowly drifted from his _very generous_  endowment to his face.

"S-sorry...I..." She stammered.

He grinned even more then; his eyes taking on a devilish twinkle.

"Now, you wouldn't want  _dear Thomas_ to have me neutered, would you darling?" he purred. 

Adrienne glanced down once more to find that he was half-hard, and she had even more trouble pulling her eyes away this time. 

"Take your time, love. I _am_ quite hungry though. Do you think you could provide me with some nourishment other than tuna for a change? I'll be more than happy to stay naked while I eat, if you prefer." 

 

 

Her lips were parted in the most attractive way, and Loki could almost feel them pressed against his own. It was strange how his lecherous cravings had been somewhat dampened by his feline form. But now... _now_ they were back with a vengeance. 

"I'm...not dreaming, am I?" Adrienne whispered in a horrified tone. 

Loki chuckled, "I'm afraid not. Are you really upset by that, love? I can go back to being your cat if you'd like, but you would have to promise not to...snip snip." 

 _"No!_ I mean...no. You can stay like, well, like you are. Not naked obviously, but..." 

This conversation was getting more awkward by the second, and Adrienne hadn't blushed this much since she was about seven years old when her dress flew up over her head at school. 

Loki looked wounded for a moment. His mouth turned down at the corners, and his eyes took on the same pleading look that Khan's did when he was begging for food. 

"And here I thought you  _liked_ my naked form..."

"Oh, I DO..." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she slapped a hand to her lips. Loki smirked. 

She whacked at his arm suddenly, furious that he'd tricked her. 

"You're even more of a  _little shit_ now than you were as a kitten! I can't  _believe_ I fell for that!" 

Loki laughed, then took her hand where it lingered near the place she had hit him. His touch was like a jolt of electricity to her palm. 

"Now, love, what shall we have for dinner?" 

 

 

As Adrienne rummaged around in her cabinets for food, Loki sat on the couch- still completely nude. He'd insisted that nothing she had in her apartment would fit him, but she had a feeling he just wanted to torture her. She just couldn't keep herself from glancing over at him every few moments. He was like some kind of god.

The knock at her door wasn't a complete surprise, but Adrienne was panicked anyway. She didn't understand why he couldn't call her before just showing up unannounced. 

" _Fuck!_ It's Thomas. You need to hide!" 

"Ooooh, such a filthy mouth. I  _like_ it," Loki whispered, licking his lips. "Maybe I should just stay right where I am...how would  _dear Thomas_ react to me? Naked on his girlfriend's couch?" He smirked, and Adrienne couldn't decide if she wanted to  __hurt him or fuck him.


	8. Chapter 8

Loki was just sitting there, smirking at her. It was as if he was  _daring_ her to let Thomas in without making him move. The worst part was, she knew how pissed off Thomas would be if he found another dude sitting on her couch in the nude, and it only made her want to do it  _more._

"Come on, darling. Let's let  _dear Thomas_ in on our little secret, shall we? It might even be a bonding moment for you two..." 

Adrienne  _knew_ Loki was trying to trick her, but she still couldn't help considering it. Sometimes she did things just for the sake of pissing Thomas off, but this? 

She shook her head. " _No! You have to hide. Now!"_ She whispered. 

Loki smirked, "Ah, but you thought about it, didn't you? You wanted to do it  _so badly_..." 

And suddenly, he was a kitten again, curled up on the couch seemingly fast asleep. 

 

 

 

Thomas banged on the door again; this time much harder than before. "Adrienne! Let me in, dammit!" 

She glanced over at Khan, who had lifted his head and was glaring toward the door. Giving him a tiny shake of her head, she skipped toward the offending noise. 

 _"What is taking so long?!"_ Thomas yelled again. 

Adrienne bristled, but let him in. Scowling, she muttered, "You could have at least warned me you were coming. You could have been a serial killer or something." 

Her words were lost to him, as usual. "Who's here?"

"What? No one!" 

"No...I distinctly heard you speaking with someone while I was outside."

Adrienne rolled her eyes at Thomas, shaking her head. He was just so domineering sometimes. 

"I was on the phone with the veterinarian's office," she said, glaring at "Khan," or whatever his name was. He raised his head just enough to poke his tiny pink tongue through his teeth at her. 

She ignored him. "They can see him tomorrow." She emphasized the last word and gave him another less-than-subtle glare. 

This time, Thomas picked up on it. "Uh-oh. Did you two have a falling out?" 

He sat down on the couch next to Loki, and Loki bared his fangs at the man, spitting and hissing. 

_Oh hell no, dear Thomas. This is my couch! Mine! And you're now getting in the way of dinner._

 

 

 

"Wow... did you murder his family in a past life, or what? He _detests_ you," Adrienne giggled. The thing was, she couldn't figure out  _why_. Why would he hate her boyfriend so much? He was just a...cat? A man? What the hell was he anyway? A figment of her imagination? She looked down at "Khan," who was flicking his tail from side to side glaring at Thomas as if he had overstepped his bounds just by existing. 

"Cats usually love me though. What's _his_ problem?" 

_That is it. You're done, mortal._

Three things happened in quick succession. Khan flew at Thomas, latching onto his chest with all four feet; claws out. Thomas screamed like a little girl. And Adrienne tried without success to remove Khan from Thomas' chest. 

"Get him  _off!_ " Thomas yelled. Adrienne grasped Khan by the back of his neck, just as she'd seen on the Discovery Channel, and gently lifted. 

_What...what's going on? Why am I losing? I AM A GOD, YOU RODENT... I... momma? Is that you?_

 

Loki was far more disoriented by that little episode than he'd been by falling into the toilet head first. He had absolutely no clue what had come over him. But when Adrienne had grasped the back of his neck, his claws retracted involuntarily, and he had fallen under some kind of spell.

Suddenly, he did not trust this woman. 

 

 

 

Long after Thomas left that night, Adrienne was left wondering when her precious kitten would  _do the thing_ again. Or had she actually imagined the entire thing? All he did was sit on the couch and brood. He wouldn't even look at her. And when she walked by, he growled; long and low. 

Finally, she decided to turn the tables on him. While digging through her fridge and cabinets earlier, she'd found several microwave pizzas.  _If_ she hadn't imagined the whole my-cat-is-actually-a-man thing, he would respond to delicious smelling food, especially if she offered  _him_ tuna again. 

 

" _Here, Kitty kitty kitty!"_ She yelled, as obnoxiously as possible. If she had judged the man properly, she knew that voice probably drove him nuts. 

She peered around the corner at him, holding the plate of tuna. His ears were laying flat to his head, and he was glaring at her. 

" _C'mon little one. It's time for your tuna,"_ She sang. 

"As for me, I'm having pizza!" 

 

 _Pizza? What the hell, mortal? You couldn't find anything in that mess of a kitchen earlier... but now, NOW you have pizza?!_  

 

Khan stalked toward her with his tail twitching, and his fur standing on end. She darted away into the kitchen, pretending she didn't notice his ire.  _Just you wait..._ she thought, pressing start on the microwave. 

In a few moments, she heard a clatter in the living room, and she knew her plan had worked. 

"Just  _what_ do you think you're doing, mortal? Feeding me tuna  _again_ , while you eat this...this delicious smelling delicacy?!" 

He had dropped the kitten form, and angrily stalked into the kitchen. His nakedness startled her once again, even though she knew he wouldn't be clothed. It could be because he was  _so close_ to her, she could smell him. He smelled nothing like a cat. He smelled like leather and _man_. 

_Fuck._

 

Adrienne took a step back in an attempt to get her mind back in order, then looked up at him. She smiled, flashing her teeth.

"I knew I could draw you out."

He glared at her again, looming over her intimidatingly. She knew he was trying to frighten her, but his stance combined with the threatening look in his eyes...not to mention that _unbelievable_ body... she found the entire thing incredibly sexy. 

Evidently, it was obvious. Suddenly, he was smirking. Smirking and inching closer to her.

"So, if you're so enthralled by _dangerous_ men, why are you with that little worm?" 

"T-Thomas?" She stuttered. The man- Loki, she'd just remembered his name- nodded once, still smirking. His face was just inches from hers.

"He's very smart, sweet, and a talented actor. I really believe he will have a career in performance someday." She tilted her head up, showing him she was sure of her answer, even if he didn't approve. _Who is he to come in here and question my relationship?_

A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest, and Adrienne was almost afraid of what he would say next. Afraid she might agree with him.

"You think he's sweet, Adrienne? Do you make a habit of allowing your lovers to yell expletives at you through your front door?" His voice was incredulous, and Adrienne blushed.

Oh, how she wished he would back up a bit. He was far too close to her. She could hardly think...

"Well, I..."

Loki smiled at her hesitation. "I think our dinner is done, darling. Would you like me to wrap myself in a towel before we dine? You seem...distracted."  


	9. Chapter 9

Adrienne tried to eat her pizza. She really did. But Loki was sitting across from her; only his lower half covered by a bath towel. And it wasn't really even his lower  _half_. It was more like a small area of his groin. The man was  _huge_. 

After their confrontation earlier, he seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she couldn't stop staring at him. He was cramming pizza in his mouth like he hadn't eaten in weeks, so perhaps he was simply distracted by food. She should take advantage of his distraction and gain the upper hand for once, but he was sitting there all lean muscle and perfectly pale skin... a thin trail of black hair between his nipples leading down his tight toned abdomen toward the top of the towel...

"Are you going to eat that, or are you just going to hold it to your lips?" 

Adrienne nearly jumped out of her skin. Then she realized she'd been gaping at him; her pizza just barely touching her mouth. She must have looked utterly  _mental_. 

Loki smirked. "Caught you, darling." 

Adrienne couldn't speak. She just blushed furiously and stuck her tongue out at him. 

"Eat. You'll need your strength," he winked. 

 

 

Adrienne forced herself to take a bite of pizza. Her stomach was growling from hunger, but it was tough to ignore the  _other_ hunger she was feeling at the moment. She decided to try talking to him. Maybe she could provoke him enough to piss him off. Then maybe she wouldn't want to fuck him on her dining room table. 

"So, why was that huge blonde guy knocking on people's doors and showing your picture around? And why did he say you were dangerous?"

Loki paused; pizza halfway to his face. A predatory grin began to grow on his lips, and Adrienne thought she might spontaneously combust. 

"He's my...brother. For all intents and purposes. And I'm not  _that_ dangerous," he grinned wider, reminding her of the Cheshire Cat. 

"Unless you want me to be..." Eyes twinkling with mischief, he winked at her once more before finishing the last piece of pizza. 

Adrienne realized he hadn't really answered her question. 

"But why is he looking for you if he's your brother? Shouldn't he know where you are?" 

His face clouded, and she knew she'd hit a sore spot.  _Bingo_.

"Absolutely  _not._ " 

Adrienne sighed. "Okay, I get that you're secretive as hell, but I kinda need to know if I'm- oh I don't know-  _harboring a fugitive!_ " 

"I am  _not_ a fugitive!" Loki snapped. "I was...unfairly imprisoned. So I faked my death, took the throne, and everything went to _Hel!_  Then I came here and found an unsuspecting mortal to adopt me." 

His voice trailed off considerably as he finished his thought, and Adrienne could tell that he hadn't wanted to tell her any of that. But he'd become enraged by his situation and just exploded. 

"Wait, I'm sorry...what  _throne?_ And who the hell fakes their own death? You're quite the diva, aren't you?" 

 

Loki cocked his head to the side; his expression curious. 

"Diva? I'll admit I've been called that before, but I didn't understand the reference. What does it mean?" 

 

" _Jeez_ , man. Where the hell are you  _from_? You're over here babbling on about thrones and unfair imprisonment...and faking your own death... and you can turn yourself into a fucking  _cat! What are you?!_ "

Adrienne took a deep breath. "And a diva is someone who does things specifically to be...outlandish. To get attention." 

Loki rolled his eyes at her definition, but looked away in thought. He didn't really want to answer her questions. He had gotten attached to her- which was a mistake he knew- and the more she knew about him, the more danger he posed to her. 

A rare look of complete sincerity came over Loki's face, grabbing Adrienne's complete attention. His usual arrogance was replaced by sudden melancholy, and it tugged at her heart. 

"Adrienne, you really have been a wonderful host, but I should just leave you alone. I should go find someone else to pester. The longer I am here, the more danger you're in." 

He stood and the towel covering his hips dropped, which completely derailed her thoughts for a second until she realized he was  _serious_. 

" _Wait!_ You can't leave! You're my... you're my cat...right? I mean... Well, that's not what I meant. Loki, please. I don't want you to go. You said yourself that I prefer dangerous men. Let  _me_ be the judge of whether I want to be involved in this- whatever it is. Don't just walk out. Where will you go?" 

There was a sadness in his eyes that Adrienne couldn't quite define. Was he sad because he was leaving  _her_? Or was he sad because he had to leave and find another place to go? She was just so confused.

She stood and grasped his bare shoulders. "Just tell me who you are. Let me decide if I can handle it. Men have been deciding things for me my entire life, Loki. Please, be the  _one_ man who lets  _me_ decide." 

 

 

 

Loki took a deep, steadying breath. His mind was a twisted labyrinth of self-loathing with a dash of arrogance and self-pity. It was a damning combination to say the least. He already knew that he would give in, especially after what he'd witnessed earlier between Adrienne and her so-called  _lover_. She deserved better. She deserved to be treated like an intelligent being; worthy of the utmost respect. 

"Alright darling, but I shall require clothing for this. Speaking of my past is not easy, and you just might decide to toss me out immediately." 

Adrienne watched in awe and irritation as his hands glowed with green light, and clothing magically appeared on his body. 

"Are you telling me you could have been clothed  _this entire time?!"_  

Loki smirked. "I  _could_ , but why waste the opportunity to strut around your apartment in the nude?" 

She couldn't fault him for that. His body was something to behold, and she was actually disappointed to see it covered. Although, now it was covered in a tight black t-shirt and jeans that hugged his hips  _just right_. Adrienne sighed. There really was no escaping this. She would either end up harboring a fugitive and screwing him on every available surface in her apartment, or she would end up  _harboring a fugitive and screwing him on every available surface in her apartment_. There was no alternative. Unless he wasn't interested. Now  _that_ was a depressing thought. 

 

 

Loki paced the floor. He wasn't sure how to start. 

 _It is I- the creep who almost destroyed New York!_  No. 

 _It was all just a big misunderstanding..._ No one would believe that. Even if it really wasn't  _all_ his fault. 

 

 

"Adrienne." he began, but stopped. The way she looked at him made blood rush all the way to his...well,  _there_. He shook his head to clear it. 

"I could make this simpler, and just turn back into your cat, but you would have to promise not to have me neutered." 

Adrienne's head snapped up. Did she  _want_ that? No...no, she didn't. She wanted him to be free. Even if he was a criminal. She didn't know why, but she trusted him. He could have hurt her, but he hadn't. After all, he'd lived with her, watched her sleep, walked around naked in her apartment, and never laid a hand on her. 

"No, Loki. Just tell me what's going on. I want to help you if I can." 

 

Loki continued his pacing.

"Do you remember when the aliens attacked New York a few years ago?" 

He watched as realization showed in Adrienne's eyes. And he held his breath for her reaction. 

"Oh...oh my God," she whispered. "It's you. You're  _that_ Loki." 

 


	10. Chapter 10

"So, the blonde guy at the door. That was..." 

"Thor. Yes. That was him," Loki scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

Adrienne was thankful that she was so close to the couch because she sat down  _hard_. 

_Loki, the man who tried to take over the planet with an alien army._

_Loki, the man who killed 80 people in two days._

_Loki, the man who was sent back to his home planet in a muzzle and shackles._

**_That_ ** _Loki._

Adrienne's head hurt from the flood of memories. When she looked back up at him, she half-expected to see the menacing figure who had appeared on her television screen several years ago. He'd been so frightening, even though she was nowhere near New York. The idea of someone like him taking over the planet had been downright terrifying. 

But the man standing before her now was different, somehow. Still arrogant as hell, but he wasn't  _evil_ , was he?

"What had you planned to do with me, Loki?"

Adrienne hated the way her voice cracked when she said his name. She had wanted to sound brave, but she didn't feel that way at all. She felt miniscule in his presence; as if he could crush her with his next words. 

 

The expression on Adrienne's face made Loki take a few steps back from her. His hands automatically went up in a  _I-mean-you-no-harm_ gesture. He felt the full weight of his deeds all over again. Suddenly, he saw himself the way she probably saw him. He  _was_ a fugitive. How could he have expected her to understand his position? How could he have expected her to let him stay and effectively ruin the life she was trying to build for herself? 

"I had no plans to harm you. I hadn't planned for you to know who I was at all. Honestly, Adrienne...I never wanted to rule your world. I know you probably don't believe that, and I can't blame you, but I  _swear_ I never had any intent to hurt you. I never had any intent to use you in any way. You just happened to be the one to find me; the sweet girl who took me in when I needed you." 

"If you will allow it, I will just go. I'll leave here and let you be. I'm so sorry." 

 

Adrienne considered his words for a few moments. His eyes were so full of anguish and sorrow, she almost wanted to reach out to him. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she kept wondering if he was just a  _really_ skilled liar. 

He hadn't harmed her so far- other than a few minor scratches that were probably her fault anyway. And he most definitely hadn't hurt her in his human form. 

"Why on earth did you decide to show me who you were, then? Why risk it?" 

That was the burning question. 

 

Loki shot her a sardonic smile. "Darling, your precious Thomas had you convinced that it was time to neuter me. I had to do something. What happens to me in cat form also happens to me in  _this_ form!" 

Adrienne's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, shit! That would have been..."

Loki closed his eyes and nodded solemnly. 

"So, you really were going to stay here as my cat? Like, forever?" 

Loki shrugged, "For as long as I could, love. You were  _good_ to me. I rather liked being your feline, even if you did try to feed me that...that  _mush_." 

Adrienne laughed for the first time in several long minutes. 

"So  _that's_ why you wouldn't eat the cat food! I'd never met a cat who didn't prefer the canned stuff! I should have known!" She slapped her hand across her forehead. 

"That I wasn't really a cat? I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself." 

 

Silence descended, and both Loki and Adrienne were lost in thought. Adrienne realized she needed a lot more information before she could decide whether to allow him to stay. She needed to know everything. If he was willing to give her that, she might be able to trust him. 

"Loki? I still want to help you. I don't know why. I must be stupid. But if I'm going to trust you; to trust that you're not going to harm me or anyone else on this planet, you need to give me more information." 

 

Loki had been thoroughly prepared for her to toss him out of her life, so her response caught him off-guard. He had been staring at his feet like a child who was facing the repercussions of his latest prank. 

"What?" He glanced up; confusion registering on his face. 

Unfortunately, Adrienne mistook his confusion for carelessness, and reacted with irritation. 

"Me. Stupid." She pointed to herself angrily. "Need more info. That is, unless you just expect me to accept you as a houseguest based on the tiny amount of details you've given so far. In which case, you'll be disapointed to know that I'm not  _that_ stupid." 

 Loki's eyebrows nearly touched his hairline, and all he could think was  _she's not stupid at all_ , but he waited his turn to speak. 

"Adrienne, darling you are  _not_ stupid. Please don't speak of yourself in that manner again. I will tell you anything you wish to know. That is, unless I feel the information puts you in great danger. In which case, I will tell you as much as I can." He smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Thank you...for giving me a chance. You are very kind." 

 Loki reached out to take Adrienne's hand, and she let him. He was charming as hell, but also arrogant and egotistical. But there was something about him- something so tragic. She couldn't quite place it. Maybe that was why she'd decided not to make him leave immediately. She hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake. She'd been known to do stupid things for beautiful men before. 

"Okay, sit. And start talking, big guy," she ordered, scooting as far away from him as possible. Even clothed, his intoxicating scent flooded her brain, and she felt a little dizzy. 

"Where do I begin?" he whispered. 

"Well, you can start with the real reason you've been hiding here, you know, dressed as a cat. I'd like to know why I was the lucky winner in that particular lottery." 

Loki cocked his head to the side, looking confused once again. "Lottery?" 

"It's... nevermind. Why are you here? Hiding?" 

 

Loki sat, as she had commanded, and began thinking of how he would explain his current predicament. It had started so long ago, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly  _how_ he had ended up deciding that being a  _cat_ was the best option. 

"I came to Midgard- Earth, as you natives call it- to hide from Thor. He believed me to be dead until a few weeks ago. You see, after the events in New York, I was taken back to Asgard for...sentencing. I was imprisoned. Then my mother was murdered by the Dark Elves." 

Adrienne's gasp made him look up and pause for a moment, but then he continued. He didn't like talking about those days. 

"Thor approached my cell with a deal. I assist him in taking the Dark Elves down, and then afterward, he brings me back to the cell...for eternity." 

Adrienne held up her hand to stop him. " _Eternity?_ As in, the rest of your life? Loki...how long is that?" 

He shrugged, "Five thousand years or so." "Needless to say, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be used in that way, so I created an illusion during our battle- the illusion of my demise. Honestly, I would have rather died a real death than sit in that cell for five thousand years." 

"When Thor left my body in Swartalfheim, I dropped the illusion and went back to Asgard- posing as one of Odin's guards. I was so angry with him for everything. I...I used my Seidr, er, magic to banish him to Midgard without a trace of his memories  _or_ his dignity. Unfortunately for me, Thor just  _loves_ to roam around on Midgard. I think it's the only way he can get a woman. Eventually, he stumbled upon his worthless _dear old dad_ and brought him back to Asgard. So I knew that my time there was up. That's when I decided that being a kitten on this realm was far better than anything I could hope for at home." 

Loki paused to allow Adrienne time to sort through the information he'd just given her. Her face was a mask of uncertainty, and he wasn't sure whether she actually believed him. Would  _he_ believe him? He honestly didn't know...

 

"Wait a second... so, you banished your own father to Earth because you were a little pissed off at him? Like, you erased his memories and sent him  _here_? That's pretty harsh." 

Loki rolled his eyes. "He's not _my_ father. He's  _Thor's_ father. My father is dead." 

 

"Oh, Loki...I'm so sorry. What happened? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." 

 

Loki hesitated for a moment. Adrienne looked so upset for him, and he knew that if he told  _one little white lie_ , he would have her. She wouldn't be able to say no to him. She would welcome him into her home with open arms. 

On the other hand, if he did lie to her, and she learned the truth on her own, _or from Thor_... Loki cringed inwardly. 

In the end, he decided he couldn't do it. He couldn't lie to her no matter how much he wanted to. 

"I killed him." 

When Adrienne gasped, and her blue eyes widened in horror, Loki  _had_ to make her feel better. So he told her the version of the story that he'd wanted everyone else to believe.  _Especially his mother..._

"I  _had_ to, Adrienne. I killed my biological father to save my adoptive one. Now, are you going to throw me out?"

 

Adrienne didn't speak for what seemed like a very long time, but Loki didn't dare interrupt her thought process. He would understand if she didn't want him hanging around. Hel,  _he_ wouldn't want him hanging around. When he started listing his misdeeds out loud, it made him realize just how much of a menace he actually was. He closed his eyes for a moment and pictured his mother.  _So much for Valhalla_. 

 

"You've had a really hard life, haven't you?" Adrienne whispered. Her eyes were wide and filled with something Loki hadn't seen from anyone else. Understanding? Empathy? He didn't know, but the expression on her face was not at all what he had expected. 

"It hasn't exactly been easy, no. But some of it was my own fault, Adrienne." 

She sighed, running her hands through her hair. 

"You can stay. But please, please,  _please_ don't make me regret this. You aren't going to hurt anyone, are you Loki?" 

"No, darling. I won't." 

 

Especially not her. He almost wished he could have stayed in kitten form. He was going to miss curling up beside her at night. 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Loki was relieved, but he also felt quite uncomfortable; as if he had invaded her home. After all, he  _had_ tricked her into adopting him, and now she felt sorry for him, so she was allowing him to stay. He needed to find some way to make amends. He owed her that, at the very least. 

"What are you thinking, Loki? You look troubled. I promise I won't make you use the litter box anymore! And I happen to be a pretty good cook when I actually have food in the fridge," she grinned cheekily. 

Loki laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry darling. I just feel like I have used you, or I  _am_ using you. And that's not what I want. I don't want you to let me stay because you feel  _sorry_ for me. I don't need anyone's pity." 

Although the words he spoke should have been slightly offensive to Adrienne, she understood what he meant by them. She understood that he was trying to forge ahead; to start a new life somewhere far away from his past. He didn't want anyone to help him; not because he was too proud, but because he needed to know that he  _could_ do this alone. She didn't pity him. She  _understood_ him. 

"Loki, I have zero pity for you. What you did in New York was absolutey abhorrent, but it is in the past. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes we make little mistakes that have little consequences, and sometimes we make huge mistakes that fuck up our entire existence. That's when we need someone to  _understand_ us. Someone who won't condemn us for those mistakes. Look at me.  _I_ am that person, Loki. I am inviting you to vent to me. Use me as a friend. Let me help you." 

She  _wanted_ him to use her...to vent to her?

 

"Adrienne, what exactly does  _vent_ mean?" 

She laughed for a few seconds. It was a nice sound; one that Loki would like to hear more often. 

"I forget sometimes that you aren't exactly from here, Loki. Um, venting means...letting out your feelings; telling someone how you really feel about a given situation. Especially if you have been hiding your true feelings about something."

It was then that Loki realized he would actually have to explain the events of New York. He certainly didn't  _want_ to, but he felt that in order to gain her complete trust, he had to. She might not believe a word he spoke, but at least he could get it all off his chest. No one had ever bothered to ask what had  _really_ happened to him. All they wanted was to lock him in a cage for the rest of his life. And if he wasn't mistaken, it seemed Adrienne actually wanted to know.

 

 

"Adrienne, as I said before, I never wanted to rule your world. In fact, I did my best  _not_ to. It just didn't appear that way to the general public  _or_ the so-called Avengers. You may not believe any of that, but it is the truth." 

Loki was surprised to find that Adrienne moved a bit closer to him on the couch. She took his hand in her own, giving it a squeeze as if to say  _go on_. So he did. 

"There are things about this that I cannot reveal to you. It would put you in danger because unfortunately, I have yet to resolve this situation. What I can tell you is that I left Asgard somewhat unconventionally, and was taken in by someone much more powerful than myself. He wanted to use me to gain _...something important..._ he needed in order to control the universe. That _something_ was on Midgard. I was tortured, mind-controlled, and threatened with pain and death if I failed."

 

"But...you  _did_ fail, didn't you?" 

"Oh, yes. I failed spectacularly. When I set out to do something, dear Adrienne, I do it well," he smirked. 

"Wait. You  _meant_ to fail? You  _wanted_ to be sent back to Asgard in shackles?" 

Adrienne's face was incredulous, but Loki couldn't blame her. He had been afraid she would react with disbelief. 

"Before you decide that I am lying, consider this: My plan on Svartalfheim was flawless. Thor thought I was actually  _dead_. For months. Do you really think that I would have failed if I had wanted to take your planet as my own?" 

 

Adrienne surveyed the man sitting next to her. He was clearly strong, cunning, intelligent, and manipulative. His eyes were ancient even if his body was perfect and his face was so beautiful it was almost painful. If anyone was capable of taking over the planet, it was  _this_ _man._ He seemed to have the determination to accomplish anything he wanted; yet it looked as though he didn't believe he was capable of  _good_ things. Lies and deceit were all he had ever known, apparently. She idly wondered if he'd been lied to himself, then remembered he had asked her a question. 

He  _absolutely_ could have taken over Earth if he had wanted to. So no, he wouldn't have failed if he hadn't planned it that way. 

"Not really," Adrienne finally whispered. 

 

"But, if you knew you would go back to Asgard in chains, why did you fail on purpose? Why not just...win?" Adrienne asked; genuine confusion coloring her tone. 

Her ability to be objective, even when discussing the demise of her own home planet was one of the things Loki admired about her. She really was curious why he didn't just  _win_. It was quite fascinating.

"Darling, if I had won,  _he_ would have won. And then we _all_  would have lost. I went back to Asgard knowing I would be put in the dungeons because at least there I would be protected from him. And the _...something important..._ that he needed, well, it came with me. New York may have been destroyed, but at least it wasn't the entirety of Midgard."

 

Thinking of and talking about Thanos was making Loki's stomach churn with bitterness. He still longed for vengeance, even though he knew he would probably never get it. The fact that he'd had to sacrifice his own pride to save the realms from that madman's evil plan pissed him off to no end. It wasn't as if he was  _afraid_ of Thanos. He wasn't. He had known all along that he could best the mad Titan in a battle of intellect. The problem was that Loki hadn't been willing to sacrifice Midgard so that he could have the chance to do so. 

 

"So essentially what you're telling me is that you risked your own life _and_ your freedom to save the planet from this other nutjob, but everyone thinks that  _you're_ the crazy one. Right?" 

Loki pursed his lips in thought, then nodded. "Unfortunately, yes." 

Adrienne frowned. "Why didn't you tell someone? I mean, why didn't you tell Thor? Wouldn't he have helped you?" 

Loki rolled his eyes. "No, darling. Thor wouldn't believe me if I told him the sky was blue." 

 

 

Loki looked agitated when he spoke of his adoptive brother, but Adrienne thought there might be more to their relationship than he let on. She couldn't imagine having a sibling who wouldn't believe her when she was in mortal danger. Adrienne only had her little sister, and they fought like animals, but when it really mattered, she was there for Andreah. And vice versa. They lived hundreds of miles apart, but they still talked at least once a week; mostly about Andreah's ridiculous career choices, their father's  _much_ younger girlfriend, and their mother's obsession with her. 

 

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't he believe you, Loki? My sister and I fight all the time, but when things get tough, we stick together. Thor must be a real dick if he didn't even bother asking you what really happened." 

 

Loki was once again faced with a dilemma. He could sit there and pretend that Thor was the only one to blame for their pathetic excuse for brotherhood, or he could tell her the truth; thus making himself look even worse. He was beginning to feel a certain...fondness for this Midgardian woman. She had listened to him speak of his past without judging him in any way, even taking his side. She'd  _understood_ him when he explained his motives. He didn't know whether she was simply playing along, or if she really was as open-minded as she seemed. But the more he talked to her, the more he liked her for more than just her lovely face. Not to mention the rest of her. 

 

"Adrienne, Thor and I... we have a long, long history. You probably don't realize this, but I am well over one thousand years old." 

Adrienne's mouth fell open, and Loki smiled sadly. It really was a lot to take in, especially for someone as young as she was. 

"He was always the favored son- because he was being groomed for the throne. But I had no idea. All of my life, I was told I was born to be king- just as Thor was. So, when I found out I was adopted..." 

"Oh my God, you didn't  _know?!"_ Adrienne interrupted. "How could they not tell you? How long did they wait?" 

"Until I found out on my own. Just after the announcement that Thor had been chosen to be the next king..." 

Loki wasn't  _about_ to go into  _how_ he found out...or that he wasn't even the same species as his adoptive family, so he continued. 

"It was not too long afterward that I left Asgard. But before I did, Thor and I fought, and it ended...badly," Loki sighed. 

 

 

Loki had been staring at his hands while he talked. He had a tendency to twist his fingers together; worrying them while he spoke, especially if he was a little nervous. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up to find that Adrienne had her head down. She was looking at the floor as if trying to hide her eyes. 

"Adrienne...have I said something to upset you? I know this is a lot to process," he whispered.

Surely, his latest admission hadn't been the one thing she couldn't handle. After all he had told her, the fact that he and Thor fought should not come as a surprise. 

 

 

Seconds ticked by, and Loki sat in complete silence waiting for her to say something. He was suddenly terrified that her next words would be  _get out_. But when she looked up at him, there were tears swimming in her eyes. 

"Norns Adrienne, please don't cry! What have I said?" 

Frantically, Loki tried to find a way to comfort her without upsetting her more. His hands hovered near her, but never actually touched her. His face was stricken, and his body leaned over hers in a protective huddle. But he couldn't figure out how to fix what was wrong without fucking everything up even more. 

Adrienne's lip trembled.

"You didn't say anything wrong, Loki. It's just... I know how painful it can be; finding out you're adopted after years of thinking otherwise. I had a friend... H-he found out he was adopted just last year. He was twenty five."

Tears were streaming down her face, and Loki's heart broke just looking at her. He somehow already knew exactly what she was about to say, and he was glad he hadn't told her the real way he'd left Asgard. 

"He couldn't deal with it; with the emotional turmoil. He, well, he committed suicide. I tried to help him. I tried to tell him that his adoptive family loved him- that they just didn't want him to feel different. But I guess that was the wrong thing to say...I guess nothing I said really helped." 

 

Just like that, Loki's arms were wrapped around her. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing or not, but it  _felt_ right. 

"Shh... It's okay...it's okay. You did everything you could, darling. I'm so sorry," he whispered. 

He felt intensely guilty because, although the conversation had begun because Adrienne needed information, when he finally let himself speak of all that had transpired, he felt a weight lift from his weary soul. 

 _He had used her once again_. But she had offered, hadn't she? 

She was sobbing in his arms, and all he could think to do was hold her tightly and stroke her hair. 

 

"Loki?" She whispered. "I'm glad you didn't do what he did." 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Adrienne woke slowly, glancing around and wondering why she was  _so comfortable_ on the couch in her living room. That is, until she realized that she wasn't exactly laying on the couch. She was laying on Loki.

Loki, whose arms were still wrapped tightly around her even though he was deeply asleep. She glanced up at his face, not failing to notice how that expression- his look of perpetual sadness- was gone now that he was dreaming. His dark eyelashes fluttered as his lips moved almost imperceptibly, and Adrienne wondered what he could be dreaming about. She stayed as still as she could, not wanting to wake him. And if she were to admit it to herself, also not wanting to move away from him. 

Adrienne was ashamed to admit that his embrace felt so nice, especially considering that she had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who was supposed to meet her at her apartment that morning. 

 

 

Suddenly, there was a loud knock.  

 _A boyfriend who was banging on the door._ _Fuck._

Adrienne flew up and out of Loki's arms. She decided halfway to the door that she'd tell Thomas he was a friend- someone who'd needed a place to crash after coming to a party at an adjacent apartment. 

 

 

"Sheesh, Adrienne. Did you sleep standing on your head? You look like hell," Thomas chuckled. 

As he edged his way around her and into the apartment, she expected him to at least  _mention_ the incredibly handsome man asleep on her couch, but he said nothing. 

"Hey little guy! Let's see how you and I get along today, shall we?" 

 _What?_  

Adrienne spun around, expecting to see Loki, but instead, there was Khan. 

_What did you say to **my** Adrienne, mortal?_

Khan, whose ears were plastered to his head as Thomas reached down to stroke his fur. Fur that was standing on end. Evidently, Thomas didn't recognize the signs. Cats were excellent fighters, but they also had a few obvious tells when they were about to attack. 

"Um, Thomas... maybe now isn't the best ti--" 

It was too late. Khan's tiny claws were latched onto Thomas' arm before Adrienne could get an entire sentence out. In her mind, she kept silently begging  _Loki_ to stop, even though she knew he was going to keep going until one of the two "men" was on the floor in a pool of his own blood. She had a feeling that man would be Thomas. 

 

"I don't know why you keep this damn furball, Adrienne! He's clearly unhinged! Every time I come over, he attacks me... it must be some kind of testosterone-induced hysteria." 

Khan was still clawing his way up Thomas' arm, biting and scratching every available inch of exposed flesh he could find. Adrienne wasn't sure exactly what had prompted this particular strike, but she thought it might have something to do with Thomas' comment upon entering her apartment. 

 

It almost made Adrienne feel good that Loki was defending her so viciously, especially since he was just a tiny kitten. Thomas was always saying hurtful, stupid things, but she tried to tell herself he was just teasing her. Even still, having your boyfriend tell you that you looked like hell was pretty shitty. 

"Khan... come on... let him be," she muttered knowing full well that  _Khan_ was not going to stop until she pulled him off. 

 

"What the hell are you  _talking_ about Adrienne? That damn cat isn't going to listen to you! He's a  _cat!_ I don't know why you always think these animals have personalities and- and-  _feelings_ , but this one... he  _has to go!_ "

Thomas started to fling the kitten off of his arm, and Adrienne felt sheer terror rise in her throat as she remembered what Loki had told her the night before. 

_Whatever happens to me in kitten form happens to me in this form too._

 

"No! Don't hurt him!" She held her hands out to stop Thomas, but he started toward the door with Khan still dangling from his shoulder.

 

"It's him or me, Adrienne. I'm over it. You drag these stinky flea bags in here and it's like a zoo. One of them swipes at my balls and all you can do is apologize... then  _this mongrel_. It's like you think these animals can somehow replace whatever is missing in your life. Do you actually think this little beast _loves_ you?" 

 

Adrienne couldn't form words. Thomas had found her weakness and exploited it, just as he always did. She knew that the animals she cared for couldn't replace anything; couldn't change how things had gone when her dad had left, couldn't fix all the ugliness in her past. But they made her feel better. They made her feel  _alive_. She choked on a sob. 

 

Suddenly, Khan dropped from Thomas' arm, landing deftly on his feet and Adrienne felt a slight change in the air pressure. 

 _Oh shit._  

 

 

 

Loki stood behind Thomas in what Adrienne could only describe as  _armor_. It wasn't the same as what she'd seen on television, but it was still incredibly intimidating and, if she dared admitting it to herself, sexy as hell. She couldn't speak. She could move. She couldn't even  _breathe._  

 

"Apologize,  _dear_ Thomas.  _Now,_ " Loki commanded. 

His voice had taken on a note of dominance she hadn't heard before, and Adrienne felt a shiver run down her spine. 

 

Thomas whirled around, facing the man who'd suddenly appeared in his girlfriend's apartment. 

"Who the  _fuck_ are you? Where did you come from? Adrienne... where the hell did Khan go? What...what the fuck is going on here?"

 

Loki smirked. He was enjoying this. Thomas had become the mouse he would toy with until the activity lost its appeal, and then he would decide what to do with the imbecile from there. 

 _Perhaps I chose the right species after all._  

 

"Oh, didn't Adrienne tell you? I  _am_ Khan. Or if you prefer, you can call me Loki. Now, do as I said and apologize to the lady for your insolence. Or I can show you what... _other_ tricks "Khan" has up his sleeve."

 

Thomas did a comical doubletake between Loki and Adrienne, obviously trying to decide exactly how much his girlfriend knew before this encounter. When Adrienne still couldn't form a coherent sentence, he took her silence as proof that she was definitely  _in_ on it. 

"Adrienne, I- I- I mean... what... how... I...." Thomas stuttered, and Loki laughed maniacally before finally grasping the man's shoulders. 

 

"I can understand how you might be confused, mortal, but I won't ask nicely again.  _Apologize. Now._ " 

Knowing Adrienne couldn't see his face, Loki allowed his permanent illusion to drop just enough for Thomas to see his eyes turn a deep crimson. It had the effect he had hoped for. Thomas gasped, wriggled free of Loki's half-hearted grip, and ran for the door. 

 

"Fuck this! He's a _monster!"_  

 

 

 

"I can't believe that little imbecile didn't even apologize before he left..." Loki muttered, closing the door. 

 

Adrienne didn't know if she was angry or relieved. On the one hand, Loki had effectively cost her a relationship. But on the other, had she really been happy with Thomas? He had said some pretty demeaning things to her, and he never wanted to do anything she wanted to do. 

 _He wouldn't have held_   _me while_   _I cried_   _last night_. _His arms never felt that safe..._

 

"Why did you do it, Loki?" She whispered. "He could tell someone you're here. And believe me, he's the kind of guy who would do that. What if Thor finds you? What happens then?"

 

The concern etched on her face gave Loki pause. He'd thought she would be angry with him, at least for a while. He  _had_ cost her a relationship, even if it was the worst excuse for one he had ever seen. But she was looking out for  _him_? After everything he had told her? After all of his confessions? 

He took a step toward her and held out his hands, hoping he wouldn't be rebuffed. Adrienne reached out to take them with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. 

 

"To answer your first question, Adrienne, I did it because you don't deserve to be treated as anything less than a princess. He treated you as if you were beneath him, and I could not stand for that. I apologize if I have overstepped my bounds, but watching him tell you that you looked  _like hell_ when you... you are the loveliest creature..." He paused; slightly embarrassed, "And then when you defended me, I  _had_ to defend you. It was a matter of honour." 

Adrienne wanted him to continue. What had he meant when he said she was the  _loveliest creature_? What does that mean when  _Loki_ says it? She stared into his deep green eyes searching for an answer, but all she managed to do was slip further into their depths. 

_I'm falling in love with my fucking cat..._

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Loki was laying on the couch while Adrienne dug around in the kitchen looking for food. He could hear the occasional landslide of pots and pans followed by loud cursing, and it made him smile. There was just something about her that made him feel comfortable. That feeling was foreign to him, but he found that he enjoyed it immensely. 

"Found something!" Adrienne yelled. "Do you like pasta?" 

She sprang around the corner holding a box of noodles, taking him completely off-guard. After Thomas had left, Adrienne decided to change into her pajamas and "just be lazy." She said that's what people did after a break-up. Loki didn't know if she was right. He only knew that she looked adorable. Her hair was tied up in a messy knot on top of her head, and she wore fuzzy pants with printed sheep all over them. 

"Adrienne darling, as long as you don't try to feed me tuna, I'm certain I will love it," he smirked. 

 

Adrienne stood in the kitchen for a moment trying to get her heart rate under control. His little smirk and the way he called her  _darling_ made every cell in her body feel alive, but she didn't quite know what to do with that feeling. She was  _terrified_  of it. Thinking back to the beginning of her relationship with Thomas, she didn't remember feeling anything quite that intense. They'd just gone out with friends a few times, and suddenly they were together. She'd liked Thomas...or maybe she just thought she did? 

She shook her head to clear the memories away. It was strange how they weren't making her feel sad at all. Ending a relationship was supposed to be sad, wasn't it? 

Pulling out the largest pot she had, she filled it with water and set it on the stove. And broke into a fit of giggles. 

 

Loki heard Adrienne turn on the water and place a pot on the stove, but then she sounded distinctly  _distressed_ , as if she were crying. He leapt up from the couch and ran into the kitchen to find her doubled over laughing. 

"Norns, Adrienne! I thought you'd hurt yourself! Tell me, what is so amusing?" 

Adrienne took one look at Loki and laughed even harder. He wasn't asking her what was funny. He was  _demanding_ that she tell him _this instant._ It was as if she were withholding top-secret information, and he  _had to know_. 

"I just remembered... you fell in the toilet!"

 

Loki lowered his head and glared at her as she continued to gasp and cackle. His jaw set, he tried his best to look offended, but he couldn't help noticing how beautiful she was when she laughed. 

"Your furry little body was soaked! And you took off running, soaking the entire apartment! How did that even happen?! Oh my god, you were trying to use the toilet, weren't you?" 

 

Adrienne laughed until she fell into his chest; her continued giggles muffled by the black t-shirt he had conjured for himself earlier that day. Without thinking, Loki ran his hand down her back and she looked up at him- all traces of humor gone. 

"If you must know, yes. I tried to use the toilet. Wouldn't you? Those litter boxes are humiliating! And just as I was about to flush, I heard my oaf brother's voice, and I fell." 

Loki's hand was resting on Adrienne's back; her face stll pressed against his chest, and she couldn't hear much of what he was saying. All she could focus on was how  _close_ he was. 

 

"Your...water is boiling," Loki whispered, still not removing his hand. 

Adrienne took a deep breath and regretfully stepped away. She dumped the pasta into the water and turned to look at him again. He was still watching her, but his expression was unreadable as always. 

Loki hadn't wanted to let her go, but he suddenly felt silly for touching her the way he had. Perhaps she hadn't appreciated it? She'd just lost a boyfriend after all, and here he was, making her feel uncomfortable. It was strange, he thought, how he was always able to flirt with women he wasn't  _actually interested in_ , but when he became interested, he was suddenly incredibly self-conscious and awkward. 

"Loki, are you alright?"

Adrienne had been watching the expressions cross his face for the last few seconds, and now he  _really_ felt awkward. 

"I- yes. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable darling. I didn't mean to." 

 

"What? You didn't do anything wrong, Loki. Why would you think you'd made me uncomfortable?" 

She kept forgetting he wasn't _of this world_ , and she genuinely wondered what he could be referring to. Maybe there was a custom in Asgard that men weren't allowed to watch women boil water... 

Dark green eyes met hers with trepidation, and she resisted the urge to remind him that he'd spent an inordinate amount of time wandering around her apartment completely naked without any regard for the way she'd felt  _then_. 

"Well, I know you just got out of a relationship, and I didn't mean to touch you inappropriately. You fell into me, and I..."

He didn't finish, but she knew what he was talking about. His hand gently trailing down her spine. She could still feel its delicious chill through her shirt. 

 

Adrienne took a step toward Loki and reached down to grasp his hand. His eyes were wide as she stepped even closer to him. She pulled his arm around her and looked up at his face. 

"Do you think this is inappropriate? Because... I didn't think so..." 

Loki's arm began to tighten around her, and her heart started to race. He just felt  _so good_. His touch was gentle, but she could feel his strength even then. His eyes were soft and questioning, and she wanted so badly to ask what he was thinking. He was such a beautiful mystery. Adrienne was lost in the moment. 

Until she heard water sloshing onto the hot stove. 

 

 

"The water's boiling over!  _Fuck!"_

Without a word, Loki reached over and took the pot away from the heat, setting it on a cool eye. 

"I think your pasta might be done, darling," he winked. 

 

Adrienne took a shaky breath and began pulling plates from the cabinet. She wondered if her pathetic excuse for flirting had even registered with him, and if it had- had he even _enjoyed_ it? 

 

Loki watched Adrienne move around the kitchen, pulling out utensils and pouring some Midgardian red wine. He’d wanted to toss that pasta pot out the window and make her forget it ever existed, but something- some godsforsaken piece of his brain was stopping him. By the Norns, he just wanted to _kiss_ her. Was that too much to ask? 

She’d been right there, in his arms, and he couldn’t move. If she were any other woman, he could have her naked on the kitchen table by now… but not _this_ woman. Because he  _liked_ her. 

 

“Hungry?” Adrienne asked, shocking him out of his daze. 

_You have no idea._

“Yes, darling. It smells delicious.” 

 

 

"So when you said you  _heard_ your brother...did you actually hear his voice? Like, outside?" 

Loki finished chewing the massive bite of pasta in his mouth before answering Adrienne's question. He wasn't sure exactly  _what_ he'd heard, but he knew it was Thor. 

"I don't really know. I think it was just Thor yelling my name, but I can't be sure. It doesn't matter anyway."

Adrienne gave him an irritated look before taking another bite. 

"Loki, really. What will happen to you if he finds you?"

That thought had been bouncing around in her mind all day, driving her to insanity and preventing her from forming any other rational thoughts. She couldn't bear the idea of anything bad happening to Loki. Anything  _else_ that is. He had been through enough. While she recognized his mistakes, she also realized that he was genuinely trying to correct them, and he couldn't possibly do that in some alien prison. 

"Thor would take me back to Asgard and Odin would have me executed. After all, Frigga is the only reason I wasn't put to death before. She's not there to beg for my life anymore," he shook his head sadly. "I suppose that is my fault too." 

Loki didn’t continue, and Adrienne was afraid to press too hard. She could see the sorrow in his eyes, and it broke her heart. He’d really loved his adoptive mother, even if he hadn’t felt like he belonged there. 

 

Then the full extent of his words hit her like ice water. 

“Would Odin really have you _executed?”_ she shrieked. 

“Oh, yes.” His eyes were devoid of any real emotion, and she knew he was not exaggerating. 

 

Adrienne reached a hand across the table, and Loki took it without hesitation. His questioning gaze made butterflies dance in her belly, but she decided she wasn’t going to let her fear of these new emotions stop her.

“I can’t let that happen to you. I _won’t.”_  

 

Her lip trembled as the words left her mouth, and she hoped Loki knew what she meant. He tilted his head to the side, smiling slightly. 

“You remind me of her, you know.”

 

“Who?” 

“Queen Frigga. The only mother I ever knew.” 

 

Adrienne sat in silence for a few seconds before asking the inevitable question; 

“I, um…I remind you of your mother?” 

Her face must have conveyed her confusion because Loki laughed. 

“Well, she was brave, intelligent, and very feisty. And trust me when I say that the Queen was also beautiful. Do men not say that about their mothers here? I would like to think that is a universal phenomenon, along with searching for a mate who has the same qualities.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

For a few days, Loki and Adrienne existed in quite the same manner- she cooked him large amounts of whatever she could find in her tiny kitchen, and he tried to figure out why he couldn't just  _tell her_ how he felt. They watched a few movies together, curled up under a big fuzzy blanket on Adrienne's couch. And when it was time for bed, Loki slept on the couch. 

He missed the nights when she still called him "Khan," and allowed him to sleep on her chest. 

Adrienne had a few classes she attended during the week, so Loki was stuck at the apartment alone. At first, he thought he wouldn't mind, seeing as how he was no longer a cat and could fend for himself. But he'd gotten accustomed to having someone to talk to, and now it seemed his restless mind would drive him insane without her. 

He'd tried watching television, reading the newspaper, reading through the library of books she had in her bedroom, but none of those activities helped. In truth, he couldn't stop thinking about what  _would_ happen if Thor found him. He would rather be executed than go back to that cell. He'd almost rather be executed than spend one more day trapped in that apartment with only himself for company. 

On Friday morning as Adrienne was heading for the door, Loki stopped her. 

"Is this a long class, or a short class darling?" 

Loki tried to keep the desperation out of his voice, but he still sounded pathetic even to his own ears. 

Adrienne beamed at him, and for a moment he couldn't figure out why. Then she dropped her backpack at the door and sat down on the couch. 

"Thank you! I was  _waiting_ for an excuse not to go to that class today! So, what do you want to do?" 

 

"I suppose--" Loki began, but Adrienne interrupted; 

"Hey...can you disguise yourself in any  _other_ ways? I mean, besides becoming a cat?"

Loki smirked at her, thinking he knew what she wanted to do. 

"Possibly. What did you have in mind, darling?" 

She smiled, "Well, it would be nice to get out of here for a while, and I would hate to risk you running into your  _oaf_ brother out there..."

 

Before Adrienne even finished her thought, Loki began to change. Instead of hard muscle, there were soft curves and long black hair that flowed down past _her_  voluptuous breasts toward a tiny waist. 

Adrienne gasped in surprise, and Loki's pouty lips curled into a characteristic smirk.

"Well, what do you think?" She purred; her voice low and sultry. 

Loki's female form was intimidatingly beautiful. She was perfect in every way- so gorgeous Adrienne felt her own looks paled in comparison. 

"I'll tell you what I think... This isn't fair at all! You're prettier than I am. A _lot_ prettier!" Adrienne pouted.

Loki chuckled, casually morphing back to normal. 

"No one is prettier than you, dear Adrienne." 

 

Once again, Adrienne didn't know how to react. Did he  _mean_ that? Or was he just saying it to make her feel better? Either way, she  _did_ feel better. 

"Well, as beautiful as... _she_ is, you can't go out like that. Your brother obviously knows her." 

Loki's eyes lit up with malicious glee, and he nodded. "Yes he does..." 

Adrienne wondered what Loki had done to Thor in that form. Then she wished she hadn't because it brought up all kinds of questions she didn't want the answer to. Her disgust must have shown on her face because Loki started to laugh. 

"Don't worry darling. I never let it get  _that_ far. Blegh! But you should have seen the look on  _his_ face when he found out who she _really_  was..." he cackled maniacally. 

 

"So, how are you really going to disguise yourself then? And where do you want to go today?" Adrienne asked. 

She wasn't completely comfortable talking about how Loki had once  _almost_ seduced his own adoptive brother, even if it did bring a smile to his face. But she had to remind herself that he was the God of Mischief, so she couldn't fault him for being, well, mischievous. 

"What do you think of...this?" 

Loki's form shimmered slightly as his appearance changed once more. As he shifted, his eyes changed from green to bright blue; his hair lightened a few shades and became shorter, and he even shrunk a few inches. When he was finished, he held out his arms for her to view his handiwork. 

"Ta-da!" 

"You're going out on the town as...Sebastian Stan?" 

Loki laughed. 

"Why not? Come along, darling. It will be fun!" 

"Can you at least give me a disguise too? I mean, there is absolutely  _no way_ Seb Stan would be hanging around with me. Make me look like a celebrity or something. Please?" Adrienne begged. 

Loki glared at her, and even though he didn't have his own face at the moment, she still shivered.

"You couldn't be more wrong. And I don't want to go out with a celebrity. I want to go out with  _you_." 

 Adrienne shook her head and rolled her eyes as Loki linked arms with her and headed toward the door. She needed groceries anyway, so she figured she may as well go to Kroger with Seb Stan. 

 

 

Everything had gone smoothly until they actually made it to the store.  _That's_ when the trouble began.  _Gaggles_ of women followed them everywhere they went; the vegetable aisle, the frozen foods, the canned goods, even to the restrooms. The worst part was, Loki was loving every second of it. He winked, blew kisses, hugged and took pictures with them. By the time they reached the self-checkout lane, Adrienne was ready to strangle him and everyone else in the store. 

"Alright, if I'm going anywhere else with you today, you  _have_ to be someone normal! This is beyond ridiculous! We had women following us  _everywhere_ , and you were obnoxious!"

Loki seemed to physically shrink under Adrienne's scrutiny, and she suddenly felt terrible for yelling at him. She had pulled him around the corner of the building so no one could see their altercation, but she could see that it hadn't made a difference. Loki was still horrified. 

Without another word, he changed his appearance again. This time, he looked like an average guy- dark brown hair, brown eyes, medium beige skin, and probably around his height of 6'2". He was wearing a casual hoodie and jeans, and for some reason, Adrienne felt much more comfortable around this guy. 

"I'm sorry Adrienne. I- I thought you might  _like_ having him around. Those women were talking to you too. They were very jealous of you, you know." 

"But Loki, none of that was real. It was all fake. I was getting attention I didn't even deserve... and it wasn't because of me. It was because of  _you._ That's why it wasn't fun. Because I knew it was a lie. I could never be  _that_ girl." 

"You're better than _that_ girl, darling. You just don't know it yet."

 

 

"Okay, let's go get something to eat, shall we?" Loki suggested. "You've been cooking for me all week. Let me take you somewhere for a change." 

Before long, they were seated at a restaurant called  _Copper Cellar_. Adrienne knew this to be the best place in town to get a burger, and she was craving one. 

She found that she was enjoying this time with Loki so much because he  _looked_ like an average guy. He was less intimidating this way, so she felt more comfortable just being herself. She was also a lot more flirtacious. 

Unfortunately, Loki noticed that too. 

Halfway through dinner, Loki had enough of Adrienne's flirting with  _this guy_ , and was ready to go home. He couldn't understand why she wanted  _him_ and not his  _real_ self. He had morphed into the most average looking guy he had ever seen, and Adrienne was sitting across from him making eyes at him as if he were the most attractive guy she'd ever seen. It was putting him in a right foul mood. 

Had he not told her she was the prettiest woman alive? Had he not told her she was better than those celebrity women? He simply couldn't understand any of this. Perhaps she really couldn't look beyond his past, but she was somehow ignoring the fact that the guy sitting across from her  _was_ him. 

Loki growled in frustration. 

"Hey, what's wrong sweetie?" Adrienne cooed. 

"I need to get out of here. Are you ready to go home yet?" Loki replied in a curt tone. 

Adrienne was taken aback at his sudden change in demeanor, but she flagged the waiter down for the check, and they left. Neither of them spoke much on the way back to her apartment. 

When they walked inside, and Loki dropped his illusion, Adrienne finally broke the silence.

 

"Loki? What's bothering you? Did you see someone you knew?" 

He didn't answer at first, only turning to glare at her. Then, he stalked toward her like a panther chasing its prey. 

"I just don't understand, Adrienne. First, you don't like walking around with a celebrity. You get angry when women are flirting with me, even though it's not really  _me_ they're flirting  _with_. Then, when I look like this... scruffy college student, suddenly you're all enamored with him! You flirted with  _him_ all evening!  _Why?_ I told you how beautiful you were, and you didn't react. I told you that you were pretty-  _the prettiest_ \- and still, no reaction. I told you that you were better than  _that_ girl, and I meant it Adrienne. And you... you just  _ignore_ me. But then I look like, like... _him_ , and you treat me like you actually  _like_ me..."

Loki took a breath as if he were about to continue, and Adrienne took that as her cue. 

"Are you  _seriously_ mad at me because I was flirting with  _you?_ Because, in case you didn't realize it,  _I was flirting WITH YOU_!" Adrienne said; her voice rising to a hysterical level. 

"Loki, do you even realize the effect you have on women? You intimidate the hell out of me. I can hardly speak, much less actually  _flirt_ with you. How can you expect me to? You're perfect. And you spent two full days strutting that unbelievable body around my apartment. How could I even  _think_ you would ever want  _me?_ I mean,  _fuck_! Do you just  _have_ to have every woman within a ten mile radius? Is your ego that fragile?" 

She stopped for a moment, but decided she wasn't finished. 

"Okay, here it is: I  _like_ you. A lot. How could I not? You're...gorgeous, sexy, and  _normally_ very sweet to me. But Loki, I... I can't allow myself to fall for you. You're too much for me. If I let myself fall for you, I won't make it out alive. Because I know damn well I'm not enough for you." 

Before Loki could respond, Adrienne turned and walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Loki stood staring at Adrienne's closed bedroom door for far longer than he should have. She was right. She  _had_ been flirting with him all along, and he was too dimwitted to realize it. Too dimwitted and too jealous. Perhaps Thor wasn't the only oaf of Asgard. 

She wasn't right about a few other things though, and he intended to set her straight. That is, if she would let him in her room. 

He gently knocked on her door and called her name.

"Adrienne, darling." 

Something heavy thudded against the door, making him jump back. Was it one of her shoes?  _Damn._

"Go. Away."

He heard a sniffle, and immediately knew why she wouldn't let him inside. She was upset, and she didn't want him to see. 

Suddenly, Loki knew how he would make her feel better. 

 

 

Adrienne could hear Loki pacing outside her bedroom door, but she couldn't possibly let him in. She looked like hell, and felt even worse. She couldn't believe she'd basically  _told_ him she was falling for him. Even if she did cover it with the thinly veiled  _I can't fall for you_ bullshit, she knew she had blown it. How could she possibly come out of this without dying of humiliation? 

Perhaps throwing a boot at the door wasn't the most mature thing in the world, but she didn't want him getting the wrong idea and unlocking it with his mind or something. 

She buried her face in her pillow and thought about how utterly  _fucked_ she was. 

Then she heard a few tiny scratches coming from underneath the door. When she looked up, she saw a small black paw reach under the door and bat at her boot. Then it scratched at the door again.  _Khan_. Well, Loki really. He certainly knew what she needed exactly when she needed it. 

"Khan?" She whispered. 

A tiny  _mewl_ came from outside the door, and her heart broke just listening to him. Jumping up from the bed, Adrienne grabbed a few tissues from her dresser to wipe her eyes, and went to let him in. 

 

When she opened the door, Khan sat there looking up at her; his bright green eyes glowing against his black fur like stars in the night sky. They looked sad somehow, and she had to remind herself that he wasn't really a cat. She reached down, and for once he allowed her to pick him up. He clung to her shirt with tiny razor sharp claws, but his eyes showed no fear. She stroked his fur and rubbed his tiny ears, and felt her tension begin to melt away. 

"Maybe I need to stick with animals, Khan. I just suck at the whole  _people_ thing. I mean, Thomas was right. I  _do_ try to fill the void in my life with little creatures..." 

Khan growled, and Adrienne giggled. It still baffled her just how much Loki  _hated_ Thomas. 

 

She lay down on her bed, pulling Khan close to her chest and absentmindedly playing with his tail. It twitched in response and she laughed. 

"I just...I don't know how to feel right now, Khan. I've made an ass out of myself because- he already knows how I feel, and now I don't know how I'll face him. The thing is, it's not even his good looks that attracted me. It's his heart," she sniffed. 

 

Adrienne had no idea why she was telling Khan all of her secrets. Khan  _was_ Loki. But she somehow felt like she could tell him, and it would be okay. She idly wondered if Loki understood everything she was saying, but then remembered how he'd reacted to Thomas' words just a few days before.  _Oh yes... he understands._

Khan reached a tiny paw up to her lips; touching them gently. Did he want her to continue? She took a deep breath to clear her head. 

"All of those thing he told me... he holds such  _regret_ for them, but they aren't all his fault. He wants to make up for all of them. He- he needs someone to- to love him... unconditionally. That's what he needs. I mean, it's not like I know him well, but I  _feel_ like I understand him. And it must be hard being that beautiful." 

Khan's head snapped up, and his glowing green eyes locked with hers questioningly. 

"Beautiful people are constantly being used. From what I've heard, Loki has never been able to really trust  _anyone_. I just... I wanted him to trust me. But I let my own feelings for him get in the way, and now... now everything is so  _fucked up_." 

Adrienne started to cry again, so she buried her head in her pillow. Khan walked up and down the length of her body for a few moments, leaning and rubbing his face on her in strategic places. But to no avail. She was inconsolable.

 

 

"Sweet Adrienne, darling I _do_ trust you..." Loki whispered. He had climbed off of the bed while she wasn't paying attention, and now he was standing there looking down at her, hoping she wasn't about to toss him out. 

"Oh my _god_. Just leave me here to die..." Adrienne whined. 

She was so horrified, she didn't think she could even raise her head to look at his eyes.

"I could _never_ , darling. Never. Now, will you allow me to sit?" 

Adrienne's face was still buried in her pillow, but Loki saw her nod almost imperceptibly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and reached over to touch her silky hair. All he wanted was to hold her- to make her feel better  _right then_ , but he knew they needed to talk first. 

"Why do you feel that everything is, as you say,  _fucked up_ now Adrienne? Why wouldn't I trust you any longer? I don't understand."

Loki rested his hand on her back, knowing that she wouldn't turn to look at him yet. 

"Because...before you told me all that stuff about your past, I told you that I would let you vent. I told you I'd be your friend. And now I've gone and messed all that up by..." she sniffled, but didn't finish, and Loki was left even more confused. 

"You've messed it up  _how_ , darling? I- I still don't understand. You  _did_ let me vent, and we  _are_ friends. Why are you being so hard on yourself? I'm sorry I got so jealous earlier. I should never have acted that way. It was just as you said. Ridiculous."

Adrienne suddenly sat up in bed. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her hair was sticking up in every direction. Loki couldn't help the quirk in his lips. She was just so adorable. 

"But why were you jealous, Loki?  _I_ was the one making a fool out of myself flirting with you!" 

"Because I thought you liked my illusion better than  _me!_ I thought you were flirting with my illusion because you found  _him_ more attractive! Or you didn't want me at all, and you were just having fun with my illusion because,  _hell_ , why not? I was  _jealous_ , Adrienne!" 

Loki took her face in his hands, and Adrienne felt her heart jump into her throat. His eyes bore into hers, and she felt sure he could see inside her soul. 

"What you said to Khan...about understanding me...you were right. You  _do_ understand. That's why I wanted you to want  _me_. That's why I need you. Adrienne, darling I wasn't lying or exagerrating when I said no one was prettier than you. When I compared you to my mother, I don't think you realize what that meant to me. And when you said you would never be enough for me...darling, you don't know how wrong you are,"

Loki sighed.

"What I'm trying to say without success is... I don't want to be your friend...  _or_ your cat. I- I want to be your lover. Your _everything."_  

 

Loki held his breath, waiting for Adrienne's response. For a moment, she simply stared into his eyes, and he was afraid she didn't want him. The emotions he felt must have shown on his face because she reached out a trembling hand to touch his forehead; smoothing the worry lines away before tangling her fingers in his hair. 

 

"Oh, Loki... I want that too," she whispered. 

 

Loki touched his lips to Adrienne's- softly, sweetly- asking her for permission. Her lips parted, and she licked at his as if she only wanted a taste. Loki lost his breath at that moment, and he felt the only way to catch it was to have more of her. His tongue slid past her lips and tangled with hers, and their mingled breathing took on a life of its own. Soon they were lying together, wrapped up in a tangle of arms and legs; making love with their mouths.  

 

 

 

_To be continued..._

 


	16. Chapter 16

Adrienne had several questions she wanted to ask; questions she'd thought of after Loki had told her he wanted to be her lover...her  _everything_. But at the moment, he was sucking on her tongue and it was sending delicious sensations all the way down her body. He had pulled it between his lips, teasing it with his teeth, and the next thing she knew he was latched onto it; gently milking it between his own tongue and the roof of his mouth. She couldn't help imagining how that would feel on her nipples. 

Loki's big hands were splayed across her hips, pulling her closer to him, and she could feel his arousal straining against her. But he had made no move to take their make-out session any further. She had assumed that any physical contact between them would be quick and dirty, but extremely pleasurable. She'd been wrong. Nothing about his touch was quick. Or dirty. He handled her like she was made of blown glass- like any fast or rough movement would break her, and she would cease to exist. 

"Adrienne," Loki whispered. His voice was thick with lust, and she moaned at the sound of it. 

His hand moved slowly up her body, gently working its way toward her neck until finally grasping her hair. He gave it a soft sensual tug, and Adrienne laid her head in his hand as he kissed down her neck and licked at her throat. His tongue was surprisingly cool on her skin, sending chills down her spine. She gasped when he began to nibble at her collarbone, and she felt his breath on her chest. Her body bowed into his and she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling a sudden gush of arousal when his thick heavy bulge rubbed against her. 

She had never wanted anyone so badly in her entire life. And here they were, in her bed, and he hadn't made one move to take her clothes off. 

"Loki...please," she moaned pitifully. 

A groan resonated from his chest, and she reached for the tail of his shirt. But one of his big hands wrapped around her wrists, stopping her. His eyes met hers in warning. 

"What do you want, love?" 

" _You_. I want you..." Adrienne whispered, suddenly unsure whether  _he_ wanted  _her_. 

His jaw clenched, and he released her wrists with a long, low sigh. 

"Are you sure? Are you  _sure_ you want me, Adrienne? Think about it. Because I don't think I can go back after that. After making love to you." 

She studied his eyes for the briefest of moments. Those eyes, so deep she felt she could fall into them and never climb out again.  _And never want to_. She knew she'd never let him go anyway. She loved him. She  _really_ loved him. 

"Take me, Loki. I'm yours...I'm  _all_ yours," she whispered. 

 

Though she had already seen him completely nude, Adrienne somehow felt Loki was actually  _naked_ before her now. Without his arrogant facade, he looked extraordinarily vulnerable. She gazed at his beautiful form and wondered how anyone so gorgeous could ever feel insecure. Tentatively, she ran her fingertips down his chest, following the lines of muscle that were cut so finely in his body. She watched as his breathing became more shallow; the rise and fall of his chest faster, more labored. He gestured to her clothes with just his eyes. "May I?"

 

Suddenly, Adrienne's heart was pounding in her throat. Loki was going to see her. He was going to see her in all of her imperfect glory, and she felt a wave of insecurity wash over her that was so strong, she almost ran from the room. He was stretched out beside her; long and lean with pale, but otherworldly skin. Defined muscles worked with his every movement. He looked like he couldn't  _possibly_ be real. His only imperfection was the scars. Adrienne wanted to examine each one; ask him about them- kiss every mark, every line- and there were quite a few. Some appeared to be made by sharp objects- blades maybe? And some were slightly more grisly...they almost looked like burn marks. Those went deeper and made Adrienne's heart clench up. But every one was unique and beautiful in its own way because it was on  _his_ body. How had she not noticed them before, when he'd been walking around in the nude?

"I'm not like you, Loki," she finally whispered. 

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean, love?"

"You're so..." She didn't want to say  _beautiful_ , but it was the only word she could think of to describe him. He was beautiful.

It turned out she didn't have to. He knew what she was trying to convey. 

"Adrienne...do you think I don't already know what your body looks like? Do you think I haven't already imagined its curves? Every soft part of your body molding to my own? Because I have. Oh, I _have."_

Adrienne felt her cheeks flame, but she couldn't deny that the tone of his voice- so husky and full of lust- made her want to bare herself to him. She suddenly wanted his dark gaze on her naked skin. She idly wondered if the heat from his eyes would cause her to spontaneously combust. 

"Please show me, love. I'm dying to see if my imagination could possibly be as good as the real thing."

 "Okay." She gestured for him to take the lead. She wanted his touch; wanted  _him_ to undress her. And he wasted no time. 

 

 

"Norns, Adrienne. You are divine," Loki whispered. His hands made their way from her shoulders down her arms as he gazed at her breasts. She was almost embarrassed at how hard she was breathing, especially since he hadn't even  _touched_ her yet. It was the  _yet_ that had her coming apart at the seams. 

She reached out to run her finger along one of the angry pink scars on his chest, hoping he wouldn't mind. She didn't want him to think she was pointing out flaws because they weren't flaws at all. Somehow, they made him better. It was as if they were proof he had really  _lived_. 

"One day, I will tell you how I acquired those, darling Adrienne. But I fear I do not have the patience right now." 

"Do you mind me touching them?"

"Why would you  _want_ to? I cast an illusion over them before...when I was naked in your living room," he admitted.

"The same reason you want to touch me... in all my imperfection. I think they're beautiful."

Loki brushed a strand of hair away from her face, kissing her. 

"I have never met anyone quite like you, Adrienne. No, baby...I don't mind. It feels strange and wonderful having someone touch parts of me that no one has ever wanted to touch before."

 

 

His kiss was intense and Adrienne found herself gasping for air even though Loki kept most of his weight off of her. His hands worshipped her body, roaming over every curve, every sensitive spot until she couldn't take it one more second. 

"Loki... _please_."

She had never  _begged_ anyone before. She'd never felt such need. But when he finally touched her  _there_ , she moaned loudly and without shame. His fingers slid between her folds, and he groaned in approval. 

"Oh Adrienne, you are so ready for me darling..."

" _Yes_...please, Loki," she whimpered. 

Loki loved the way she bit into her lower lip as if she were trying to stop herself from asking for what she craved. He loved how her face flushed when he touched her. He loved the tiny gasping breaths she took while they kissed. He loved  _her_. The thought scared him.

He gently laid her on her back, gazing at her face and for a moment he was gripped by an overwhelming fear. What if something happened to her? She was so breakable. What if Thor caught up with him and he was forced to return to Asgard without her? 

Bringing his mind back to the present, he began to caress her thighs while kissing down her neck. He wasn't going to allow his  _own mind_  to ruin this moment. 

 

Adrienne gasped as Loki's mouth closed over her nipple and his hand crept up her thigh. His tongue was so  _cool_  and felt so good she grabbed a fist full of his hair. She heard him groan as he slid his fingers inside her. His body was pressed tightly against her, and she could feel his arousal heavy on her belly as he thrust his fingers in and out. He circled his thumb around and around as his fingers pushed deep inside; stroking her until she felt as if she would die in his arms. 

Loki released her nipple to whisper in her ear, "Adrienne... I want to be inside you. I want to feel you come around me." 

Adrienne didn't protest. His voice was dripping with lust, and all she wanted was for him to devour her. 

Nudging her knees apart, Loki grasped her hips and slowly pushed into her, letting out a low moan as he sheathed himself completely. 

"Are you okay? Am I hurting you?" 

Adrienne knew why he was asking. He was...gifted. But he felt  _so good_. 

"God, no. I have never been better," she panted. 

As he began to move, she felt her body start to spiral out of control once more. Every push, every thrust was rubbing on something deep inside her that made her feel like she would burst into a million tiny pieces. 

" _Loki..."_  

He loved the way she said his name. He wanted her to say it again and again. He reached down to rub her as he thrust into her, and she whimpered his name once more. 

"Oh...  _Loki_..." 

Each time she said it, he felt himself on the verge of release. It wasn't about power this time. It was  _proof_ that he was doing something  _right_ for a change. He was pleasing her, and that was all that mattered to him. He lifted her knee ever so slightly, knowing that would intensify his thrusts. 

Adrienne felt herself lose control; felt her belly tighten, felt herself clench on him as she fell apart. She came again and again. And as tears ran down the sides of her face, she cried out his name once more, not caring if the entire apartment complex heard her. 

 _"LOKI..."_  

His cheek was pressed against her own, and she could hear his teeth griding as he drove himself into her a few more times. Then he gasped into her ear, and she felt him empty inside her. If she wasn't already completely spent, that sound alone would have made her come all over again. 

 

 

Loki's cool breath was drifting in her ear. Neither of them had moved for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes. Through the pleasure induced haze, Adrienne heard Loki begin whispering something so soft she could barely hear him. 

"...never let you go... I won't leave you here. I..."

He didn't finish. 

"What, baby? What were you going to say?" 

 


	17. Chapter 17

Adrienne listened for a few moments while Loki lay breathing in her ear, but he didn't speak. She couldn't understand why he had suddenly stopped talking when he had. His previous words echoed in her mind over and over again until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Loki, what were you going to say?"

Loki had almost said the very thing he feared saying the most. That he loved her. He knew that if he  _said_ those words, the universe would find a way to take her away from him. That was just how things worked for him. Everyone he had ever cared for had been stolen away as if he just didn't deserve to have any comfort at all. Had he been born a monster? Did fate somehow know that he was a bad seed, therefore undeserving of even the smallest amount of affection? It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he kept her safe, and if that meant never telling her how he felt, then that's what he would do. 

"I... was going to say that if I am caught, I promise I will make sure you are cast in an innocent light. No one will know that you harbored me here," he lied. 

It felt so  _wrong_ to lie to her, but he couldn't stand the thought of losing her like he'd lost the others. He'd had a long lonely life punctuated by the loss of his mother and more than one woman he cared for. But aside from Frigga, none of them had understood him as Adrienne did. They didn't even bother to  _try_. He couldn't begin to imagine why they had wanted him in the first place. 

"But, if that was what you were going to say, what did you mean when you said you wouldn't leave me here?" Adrienne asked, shaking him from his thoughts. 

She was far too perceptive. 

"I- I meant I wouldn't leave you to suffer for helping me hide," he muttered, knowing full well that the words sounded weak. She would know he was lying. 

Adrienne sighed. That was her tell. She was irritated with him. She shoved herself up to a sitting position and glared at him.  _Fuck._

"You know, you may be the God of Mischief, Lies, and all kinds of other bullshit, but I can read you like a  _book_ Loki. What are you hiding from me?  Why won't you just  _tell_ me what you were going to say instead of laying here lying?" 

Loki didn't have a chance to answer her, but he wasn't as grateful for that as he thought he would be. Something wasn't quite  _right_ , and he sat up quickly, pressing his finger to his lips. Adrienne didn't appreciate the gesture, but he gave her a warning glare and she backed down. 

 

 _"I'm looking for my brother. He's here somewhere...I just have to find out which door..."_  

"Fuck! It's Thor!" Loki whispered, albeit quite loudly. 

Adrienne gave him a look, as if he should know exactly what to do, but he wasn't in his right mind. 

" _Khan,_ Loki.  _Now!_ " 

 

Seconds later, there was a booming voice at Adrienne's door, and Khan was 'asleep' on her couch. 

"Ah, we meet again!" Thor said jovially as Adrienne smiled until her face started to ache. She was afraid any change in her expression might give Loki away. 

"Yes... did you find your... was it your brother? Cousin?" She knew she sucked at mind games, but Loki had claimed Thor was an oaf, so maybe he wouldn't catch on. 

"My brother. And no. I have not found him yet,  _but_ someone gave me a tip. A nice young man called Thomas said he saw someone who looked a lot like Loki hanging around here. Are you sure you haven't seen him?" 

Thor held up a picture of Loki again. Adrienne resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  _Thomas. That worthless bastard._

"No, but...  _this_ is your brother? Fuck me, he is sexy!" 

Adrienne bit her lip and leaned hard on the door to show her undying attraction to the man Thor was hunting. It worked. Thor was silent for a few beats before clearing his throat uncomfortably. 

"Ah, well... like I said... he's... dangerous." 

Adrienne smiled wickedly. "That's how I like them... when you find him, bring him by. I would  _love_ to meet him!" 

Without another word, Adrienne closed the door, leaving a stunned and  _very_ uncomfortable Thor standing on her welcome mat. 

 

" _Dear Gods_ , Adrienne... I didn't know I could get aroused in kitten form! What the Hel were you playing at?" Loki asked, while using his big body to push her against the wall after they were both sure Thor was gone. 

"I was trying to make him so miserable, he wouldn't want to come back here. I figured talking about how fucking  _hot_ I thought his brother was would do the trick." 

Loki was steadily edging his knee up towards Adrienne's crotch, but she quickly shoved it down.

"Oh  _no_. Not until you 'fess up. We were rudely interrupted, and you're not getting away that easily. Why were you lying to me earlier?" She rubbed herself against him, but did not allow him to reciprocate. Loki scowled, but she merely grinned. 

"Dammit, Adrienne... Sit down. We need to sit down," he muttered. 

Adrienne was immediately on guard. She feared Loki was about to tell her something she really didn't want to hear, but fortunately she was wrong. 

As they sat down on the couch where they'd had their first serious conversation, Loki held her hand. His thumb rubbed nervous little circles across her palm, and she knew he was feeling as jittery as she was. 

"I'm afraid I can't tell you what I wanted to say, Adrienne. It would put you in danger, and I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. Please understand, darling. Thor is right. I  _am_ dangerous, but not for the reasons he thinks. I'm dangerous for _you_  because...Norns only why, but _they_ don't wish for me to be happy..." 

He knew he hadn't exactly been  _clear_ , but Adrienne seemed content with his convoluted explanation for his omission. 

"So, you are  _happy_ with me?" She asked, emphasizing the word  _happy_ so that it sounded suspiciously like one would say  _in love_. 

Loki nodded as seriously as he could. 

"I'm  _happy_ with you too, Loki." 

 

 

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Adrienne remembered what she had been thinking when she'd closed the door in Thor's face. 

"Thomas needs to be stopped."

Loki smirked at her. "You're starting to sound like me, darling." 

"No...I don't mean  _stopped_ in the same way you mean  _stopped_. I can take care of this situation quickly and without leaving any bodies behind." 

 

 Loki watched in fascination as Adrienne dug through her purse for her cell phone. Dialing a number, she worked her face into a pout and proceeded to  _make herself cry_. By the time the person on the other end answered, she sounded incredibly distressed. It was so convincing, Loki was fighting the urge to comfort her. Instead, he listened to her conversation in awe. 

"Professor Ken? It's Adrienne..." she sniffled. 

_"Well hello Adrienne! I haven't seen you around lately. How are you, darling girl? Is-- is everything alright?"_

"Um, not...not really. I'm calling about Thomas. I'm worried about him. We-- we broke up-- and," 

He cut her off.  _"Oh no! You were the best thing that ever happened to him! What gives? Do I need to slap some sense into him? Is that why you're all upset?"_

"Actually professor, it's not like that. I-- I don't want him back... not with the way things are now. You see, he's gone a bit... he's saying strange things- claiming he's seen things he hasn't. He- he..." she started to cry, "He even tried to hurt my kitten!" 

_"I see. Well, you don't worry okay? But don't let him in if he tries to come back. I will take care of this. He obviously needs some help...You know, now that you mention it, he did say something strange the last time I saw him. He mentioned seeing a creature in your apartment..."_

Loki stiffened. He really didn't want Adrienne to find out about his little secret.  _Especially_ not like this.

"What? What kind of creature?!"

_"Oh, it was nothing! He said something ridiculous about having seen a creature with red eyes...honestly, I thought he was just speaking metaphorically. He tends to do that, you know."_

Adrienne snorted, and Loki almost laughed. 

"You thought he was talking about me?"

 _"Ah, well, you know how wom-- um, significant others can be sometimes...never you mind._ _Get some rest dear, and I hope we see you around the theater again soon."_

"Th-thank you professor," Adrienne sniffled again. 

_"You're welcome sweetheart. You take care now."_

 

Adrienne hung up, wiped her eyes, and smirked at Loki, who was gaping at her. He sincerely hoped she wouldn't ask any questions about the red-eyed monster Thomas claimed to have seen. He wasn't sure he was ready for the emotional turmoil that would cause both of them. How would Adrienne react to his  _real_  self? What would he do if she didn't...want him? Loki knew he would have to show her eventually if they were going to be  _happy_ , but-- 

"Now I need to call the police," she said. 

" _Woah_ , why would you do that?!" Loki asked, completely panicked. 

"Because there is a suspicious male who keeps knocking on my door asking about his  _dangerous_ brother. And I have  _already_ told him I know nothing about the situation. Perhaps they need to do a few drive-bys during the day to make sure this  _pest_ leaves us alone?" 

Loki smirked. _"Diabolical._ You may be better at this than I am, love." 

Adrienne realized that the police couldn't actually stop Thor if he decided to barge through her door, but if he was a decent person, he would be wary of officials roaming around the complex. He would most likely talk to  _them_ instead of  _her_. And hopefully, he would stop interrupting their bedroom activities as well. 

"Are you not at least a  _little_ worried about what might happen to  _dear_ Thomas?" Loki asked, feeling almost  _guilty_ that he'd caused all of this trouble for her. 

She thought for a moment, but pursed her lips in a stubborn gesture. 

"Nope. He was an ass, and he  _does_ need help. He has some major anger issues. Even if he  _did_ see you in my apartment, that doesn't change the fact that he tried to maul a harmless kitten.  _And_ it doesn't change the fact that he probably would have become abusive to me if I hadn't-- well, if  _you_ hadn't gotten rid of him." 

 

 

After Adrienne hung up with the police, she started to wonder what would happen next. It wasn't as if Loki could hide in her apartment forever. He would get bored eventually, and when he did, they would need a plan. 

"Okay, so I know that my apartment is the greatest place in the entire universe, but what happens next? How can I help you get out of here without going to prison or worse? There has to be a way." 

 Loki didn't answer for a few moments, and Adrienne began to question whether he actually  _wanted_ her help.  _Did he not want her to join him when he left?_  Then she realized that he was actually pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair. 

"Loki?"

 

Loki's back was to her, and when he spoke, his voice was rough; almost strangled. 

"Adrienne, before we go any further... before we even  _think_ about the future... I need to show you something." 

 


	18. Chapter 18

Adrienne was taken aback by Loki's suddenly deadly serious tone, and she stood rooted to the floor for a few moments. He had stopped pacing, and was now facing away from her, which made the scene even more ominous. Quickly thinking through all of the things he had already told her, she couldn't begin to imagine what  _more_ he could reveal that would make her not  _want_ him. After all, he had admitted to killing his own father...yet, she couldn't even blame him. 

"Loki, what is it? What do you need to show me? Whatever it is, I can handle it." 

She hoped that last part was true. Knowing who he was and where he came from, it was difficult to place a limit on what he might show her. There may be things that were not  _of this world_ that she  _couldn't_ handle. But she would never know that unless she saw them. 

She was too busy wondering what he was so upset about to notice the backs of his arms changing colors. His voice was soft and husky when he finally spoke. 

"The creature Thomas saw... that was me, Adrienne." 

When he slowly turned around, Adrienne couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her. She couldn't seem to stop herself from walking toward him either, even though his skin was blue, and his eyes were blood red. He was absolutely terrifying.... but not to her. To her, he was the single most beautiful creature she had ever seen. 

Those deep crimson eyes were focused on hers as if he feared she would run away, but she had no desire to leave him. On the contrary, all she wanted was to  _touch_ him. His skin was an intense shade of blue- not even cerulean- but more beautiful than that. Lines had appeared on his face, arms, and hands. Adrienne thought they almost looked like tribal markings, but they were  _part_ of him- not made by someone's hand. She stepped up to meet him, and her heart broke at the sadness in his eyes. 

 _He thinks I'm going to reject him_. 

She wasn't quite sure what to say, so when she opened her mouth, no words came out. 

"But.... you.... you're---" Adrienne stuttered as she reached out a hand to touch his skin. 

Loki flinched. 

Adrienne had meant to say  _'But you're beautiful,'_ but her heart was beating in her throat, and she couldn't seem to form a proper sentence. Evidently, Loki had misunderstood. 

"I'm sorry, Adrienne. I should have told you. This is the real me. A nightmare. A figure from someone's bad dreams. The other 'me' is just a permanent illusion."

Adrienne tried to touch him once more, and again, he flinched away from her. 

"Stop. Let me feel you," she whispered. 

 His eyes met hers once again, and she realized that they were the same. No longer green, but still the same deep soulful eyes she knew and loved. She could still get lost in these dark red eyes, and she  _wanted_ to. 

 

"You still want to touch me?" Loki muttered in disbelief. 

"Is... is that okay?" 

Loki answered her by taking her hand in his and placing it against his cheek. It was ice cold- colder even, than before. His skin was so smooth it felt like marble under her fingers. Loki closed his eyes and let out a small sigh of contentment. 

"No one has ever touched me in this form."

" _Never?_ " Adrienne whispered, disbelief coloring her tone. 

"Why in the Nine would they want to?" 

Adrienne grasped a strand of Loki's hair; tugging it softly to get his attention. His eyes popped open, and she gave him a stern look. 

"Do you really not know? Loki... I don't get it. Why did you make such a big deal out of this? You're beautiful. I mean, yeah, I can see how you  _could_ be frightening, but not to me. You would never hurt me, so, to me you're just.... gorgeous." 

 

 

Adrienne was lying to him. She had to be.  _No one_ could think he was beautiful. Not like this. He was nothing but a monster trapped inside an aesthetically pleasing illusion. And his lover had just lied to him to spare his feelings. Well, he would have to  _make_ her tell him the truth. 

"If you think I'm so attractive in this form, prove it."

Loki's tone had changed drastically, and Adrienne wondered what she had said to provoke him. He didn't move, but his eyes had turned hard and cold. She slowly removed her hand from his cheek and looked into his eyes. 

It only took a moment for her to understand. Loki wasn't  _angry_. He actually thought she was trying to spare his feelings. And if there was one thing that Loki couldn't deal with, it was pity. 

 _Alright, you asked for it,_  she thought. 

 

Loki's breath caught in his throat as Adrienne's hands fisted in his hair and her mouth landed on his. Her warm, soft breasts pressed against his chest as her tongue danced along his bottom lip, begging for entrance to his mouth. Her hands roamed down his body and pushed against him until his back hit the wall. Suddenly, Adrienne's entire body was pressed against his, and he decided right then that  _she couldn't possibly fake this_. 

"Norns, Adrienne..." Loki panted as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She was licking and sucking on his pulse point; her warm tongue sending tingles all over his body. 

"Now do you believe me?" Adrienne's muffled voice rasped as she began to pull his shirt over his head.

"Now, do you believe that I  _want you_?" 

Loki gasped as Adrienne swiped her tongue up his stomach toward his nipple. She gazed up at him with a brazen expression of lust on her face. 

Her hands were resting on his hips where his jeans had fallen down to reveal more of those markings that she found she liked more and more by the second. She  _really_ wanted to find out if he had them  _all over_ his body. 

"Adrienne," Loki panted, "Are you... are you sure you want me this way?" 

 

Adrienne could see that Loki really was incredibly insecure.  _Painfully_ insecure, even. She didn't want him to feel unsure of himself, especially while they were making love. So instead of continuing her exploration of his body, she took his hand and slipped it into the waistband of her pants. 

"Why don't you see for yourself, my love?" 

Loki knew exactly what she meant because he gently trailed his hand down her belly and into her panties. When his fingers met her slick arousal, his eyes lit up with renewed confidence. 

"Is this because of  _me?_ "

His fingers were ice cold- something Adrienne wasn't used to- but felt  _so good_ , she couldn't help but rub herself on them. 

"You... and your otherworldly skin... and your beautiful eyes... and those markings. Do you have them everywhere?" 

" _Everywhere_." 

"Will you show me?"

 

Adrienne's husky voice and the needy way she rubbed herself against him told Loki that she  _definitely_ wasn't lying to him. She wanted him. He couldn't quite believe his luck, but he wasn't going to question it. In one quick motion, he scooped her off of her feet and carried her into the bedroom, laying her across the bed. Her surprised giggles made him want her even more. 

"I'll show you if you promise to touch them all, darling. Every last one," Loki breathed against her lips. 

Without preamble, Loki waved his hand, making their clothes disappear. Adrienne gasped as his cold skin brushed against hers, but she didn't have much time to savor the moment because the next thing she knew, his tongue was dragging up the inside of her thigh. It was freezing- even colder than the rest of him- but  _so_ arousing. She could only lay there with her head back; taking in great ragged breaths as his mouth worked closer to where she needed him the most. 

"Loki, please..." 

 

"Oh, how I love to hear you beg..."

Loki gripped her hips as his tongue finally swiped at her entrance. Her hips jerked, but he held her tightly; slipping his mouth around her folds and sliding his tongue inside her. 

 _"Oh god..._ " 

Each time he slid his tongue inside, she felt him drag it out to circle her clit, then slide it right back inside. Over and over again until she could no longer speak. She simply lay trembling, muttering helplessly until he decided to speed up and allow her to come. 

Loki waited until Adrienne was gasping for air; begging incoherently before he began to suck on her clit. Then, he slid his fingers inside her- curling and thrusting until she fell apart in his arms. Hearing her call out his name while he was in his real form was the most erotic experience of his life. 

When Adrienne opened her eyes, Loki was looking down at her. He wanted her so badly, but he wanted her to  _say that she wanted him_. He _needed_ her to say it. Just one more time. Just to be  _sure_. 

She reached up to touch his chest, running her finger down one of the lines he had so recently hated, but had now come to love.

And she said it. 

"Loki...please. I  _want_ you. _Now._ " 

 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

Loki hovered over Adrienne's naked form, taking in every detail before him. He simply couldn't believe she wanted him  _like this_. But there she was, looking up at him with her lips parted and the most beautiful flush on her cheeks. She reached for him, pulling him down on top of her, and her warmth woke up every dormant nerve in his body. As he rubbed himself at her slick entrance, she writhed beneath him; begging him to  _take her_. 

Sliding inside her with a low moan, he stilled, watching her face. He could only guess that the expression she wore was partly due to the shock of having his cold, hard member so deep within her belly. But as he looked in her eyes, he only saw raw lust. 

Adrienne had never felt anything quite like this. Loki was  _so cold_ , and when he buried himself inside her, she felt as if she might explode; not only from the shock, but from the pleasure. His face was just inches from hers, so she took his hair in her hands and tugged him down for a kiss so deep she almost couldn't breathe. 

 "Are you alright, dearest?" Loki murmured. 

His voice was strained, and Adrienne knew he was trying to hold himself back. He had pleasured her and held her while she fell apart in his arms, but now it was everything he could do not to take her hard and fast. He didn't realize _that_ was exactly what she wanted. She  _wanted_ him to pin her to the bed with his hips. She  _wanted_ him to growl into her ear as he slammed into her. She  _wanted_ him to bite her shoulder as he came inside her. She just didn't know how to tell him. 

Instead of trying to tell him what she wanted, Adrienne groaned miserably as she imagined all the things he could be doing to her. 

"What is it, love? Tell me what you need." 

The slow tantalizing motion of his thrusts combined with his breathy voice made Adrienne crazy with lust, and before she knew what she was doing, she bit him. Hard. 

Loki's shocked moan almost made her want to apologize until he looked down at her and she saw the wild lust in his bright red eyes. Suddenly, his hands grasped her lower back, and she found herself wrapped around him as he stood in front of her bed. In two strides, her back was pinned to the wall by his hips. His mouth made its way down her throat as his hands gripped her sides, and as his thrusts grew harder and faster, Adrienne could feel herself approaching the edge again. 

"Unh.... _Loki_..." 

The upward motion of his hips was causing him to simultaneously rub her clit and hit the perfect place deep inside her. She whimpered once more, and his eyes focused on her face before he pressed his cool lips to hers. 

"Come for me, Adrienne," Loki commanded. 

She wanted to. She just...

 _"Harder...please."_  

Loki laughed. It was a dark sound, and Adrienne wondered if she should have held her tongue. 

He held her body tightly as he spun them around and tossed her onto the bed on her back; pushing into her once more. And before she knew what was happening, she lost her breath with the force of his thrusts. His fingers were digging into her skin, and his face was buried in her neck. His breathless groans were echoing in her ear as his hips slammed into her over and over again. She couldn't help moaning loudly as his body rubbed against hers, sending her into a spiral she had been completely unprepared for. 

_"Loki! Oh god!"_

She felt his release as she clenched around him; heard his heady groan as he filled her, and they both collapsed together, panting and clutching each other. 

 

 When Adrienne opened her eyes, she noticed that Loki's skin was turning back to its normal shade, and she felt a pang of disappointment. 

"Wait," she whispered. "Do you have to? Or... can you stay like that for a little while longer?" 

Loki examined her face carefully; his eyes a strange shade of ocher. They were halfway between green and red, and Adrienne marveled at the fact that they were still  _so beautiful_. 

"You want me to stay this way?" 

Adrienne nodded shyly. "Just for a little while. I barely got a look at you before..." 

Loki lay still while Adrienne traced her fingertips over the lines on his face, hands, arms, and chest. And as she made her way down his stomach, he started to laugh. He had never been  _tickled_ by anyone.  _Another first_. 

"Don't you want to know what I am?" He whispered. 

He was surprised she hadn't asked. Weren't mortals curious anymore? Or had his invasion caused them to be callous? Surely, she had never seen a Frost Giant before? 

"You're Loki.  _My_ Loki. Nothing else matters. If you want to tell me your origins, I would love to know, but if not, I understand. It doesn't make any difference to me. I still...well, I'm still  _happy_ with you." 

That was it. The very thing he had been trying to figure out-  _who he was_. But Adrienne had just told him. He was  _just Loki_. There really were  _no men like him_. It hadn't been a lie or an exaggeration when he had said it in Stuttgart. But now he wasn't  _just Loki_. He was  _Adrienne's Loki_. And that was all that mattered to him. 

He could tell her now. He could tell her without an ounce of self-consciousness. 

"I am a Frost Giant. My father was the... king of Jotunheim. I didn't know it until I visited there and experienced, well," he gestured to himself, " _this,_ for the first time. We're called Frost Giants for a reason, as I am sure you noticed." 

Adrienne giggled. "I  _love_ it." 

The blush on her cheeks told him that she was telling the truth, and Loki smiled. He never dreamed she would actually  _enjoy_ his cold skin. 

She laid her head on his shoulder while drawing imaginary circles on his stomach with her fingers. 

"Tell me more, please." 

 

 

Loki wondered for a moment if he should tell her  _everything_ , but decided it would be best to leave a few details out for the time being. He didn't want to upset her. Knowing how her friend had passed, he didn't want to let her know that he had tried the same thing. He didn't want her worrying over him, especially since there was nothing to worry about. He had no intention of leaving her- not that way, at least. 

"My brother was to be king of Asgard. It was his coronation day, and I will admit now that I was jealous. After all, I had been told my entire life that I was born to be king, just as he was. Little did I know that I was born to be  _Jotunheim's_ king, not Asgard's. Odin likes to leave out important details."

"Wait.  _Thor_ is  _king_ of Asgard?" Adrienne giggled. The idea of his heavily muscled, but slightly dim brother being king of _anywhere_ was very amusing to her. 

"No, not yet. You see, I may have ruined that for him. But that is beside the point. The point is,  _somehow_ , a few Frost Giants were able to enter Asgard without anyone knowing. And it ruined Thor's big day. So, Thor was duly pissed off, and decided to take us all into Jotunheim to find out how they got in."

Adrienne was laughing in earnest now. "You let the Frost Giants into Asgard to ruin your brother's coronation? That's...actually kinda awesome. Obviously, he would make a terrible ruler anyway. He can't even track you down, and you're right here..."

Loki was pleased that Adrienne seemed impressed by his mischievousness, but when he thought about it, that one act had led to everything else. That one act had set everything in motion for him. He wondered how long it would have been before he found out about his heritage if he hadn't meddled in Thor's day. Would he know about it  _now?_   Would he be 'Loki, the  _second_ Prince of Asgard' while his oaf brother sat on the throne? Would Thor have made him an adviser? Not that he would have wanted that anyway...

"Well, while we were in Jotunheim, fighting off droves of those beasts, one of them grabbed my wrist. Everyone else's skin was burned where they had been touched, but mine turned blue...just like theirs. I knew then that there was something wrong. That something was off. That I had been lied to."

Loki thought back to Thor's subsequent banishment and wondered how he would have performed as interim king if he hadn't been so wrapped up in his own turmoil. How would things have been different if he had known about his true nature all along? He had been fighting such a battle inside his own mind, but no one knew. No one  _could know._ If the other Aesir had found out what he really was, he would not have remained Prince Loki. He would have been just another frost monster. 

"Why did they lie, Loki? Why would they hide this from you? Why create the illusion? You're beautiful just like this."

Adrienne's sweet innocence was like a balm to Loki's fevered thoughts. It was so simple to her. She thought he was beautiful, and she didn't know about the centuries-long rift between the Jotnar and the Aesir. 

All he could really tell her was what his mother had told him. It was the only 'truth' he cared about. 

"My mother didn't want me to feel different."

At the time, his mother's words had only made him angrier. He couldn't understand why she didn't feel she owed him more of an explanation. He thought she was just thoughtlessly saying something that sounded nice. But after all this time, he finally understood. Frigga really didn't want him to feel different. He was her son. Nothing less. She taught him everything she knew, just as she would if she had birthed him herself. Loki wished he had given the statement more consideration when she'd said it. Now he had to live with the regret. 

Adrienne smiled. "What about your father?"

"He's a liar and a thief."

 


	20. Chapter 20

"A liar and a thief? I know he lied to you about your origins, but...what did he steal?"

Adrienne was riveted by Loki's family history, and she hoped she wasn't pushing too many boundaries by asking so many questions. He had shared  _so much_ with her in the last few hours, and she knew it hadn't been easy for him. As she traced her fingers over the frosty blue lines on his naked skin, she wondered how anyone could possibly find him the least bit unattractive. He was breathtaking. 

Loki sighed. "Me. He stole  _me_. From Jotunheim." 

Adrienne paused her tracings to look up at his face. 

"I thought you were adopted."

Loki laughed without humor. "Ah, yes. That's what we tell everyone- that I was  _adopted_. It sounds much better than the truth. The truth is, my so-called adoptive father waged war against Jotunheim. He  _claims_ that he  _found_ me when I was just a baby lying abandoned on a frozen rock... completely helpless and doomed to die." 

Adrienne gasped, but tried to cover her astonishment as well as she could. The idea of a tiny baby Loki being abandoned made her physically ill. 

"But, why would anyone abandon you?"

"Because I am a runt. I'm not even a good Frost Giant. Technically, I  _should be_ in line for the throne in Jotunheim. My birth father was the king. But I'm sure the fact that I killed him would make my lineage claim null and void." 

Loki had been staring at the ceiling as he spoke, but as he turned his head to look at her, he noticed the tears welling in her eyes. 

"Darling, what's wrong? Have I said something?" 

She shook her head. "You've suffered so much, Loki. So much confusion. So much heartache. It isn't fair. You deserve happiness for once. I just can't deal with the idea that you are  _still_ being hunted." 

She wiped her eyes and caressed his face. "So what do  _you_ think really happened? What do you think happened when he took you from your home?" 

Once again, Loki sighed. He had thought about this so much. He'd been through every possible scenario in his mind, and he'd never completely solved the mystery, but he thought he had a good idea of what had happened. 

"Truthfully, I think he took me for revenge. I  _was_ tiny, but I don't think I had been abandoned. I think I had been  _hidden_. The Jotnar knew that the Aesir army was coming. They wouldn't have left their most vulnerable royalty completely exposed. Odin must have gone straight to Laufey's inner sanctum, fought him until he was too weak to carry on, and stolen me while he couldn't fight back. Then he took me back to Asgard with every intention of using me as a symbol of his victory. But my mother would never have allowed that to happen. My mother is the one who cared for me. Surely, none of the servants would dare nurse a Frost Giant baby- one of the most  _hated_ creatures in all the realms. If Frigga hadn't been there, I would have become Odin's war trophy. Instead, I became a political pawn. He decided he would encourage me to shape-shift; something that came naturally to me.  _I'm_ the one who chose to look like the Aesir. Evidently, as a baby, I developed that appearance- and I kept it. Even  _I_ hated what I was. Then he continued to lie to me until I figured it out for myself." 

Adrienne couldn't form words to respond, but Loki didn't really expect her to. It was a lot to take in, especially for a mortal. It felt good to finally get all of that off of his chest though. He'd never voiced those thoughts to anyone because he didn't think anyone would give a damn. As he looked at Adrienne, he realized that she actually  _cared_ , and it made him feel like he wasn't alone- for the first time in his long, long life. 

"I've never told anyone what I thought about all of that... I didn't think anyone would believe me." 

"Well,  _I_ believe you. Why would anyone abandon a baby? Even if the baby was  _small_? Only animals abandon runts. I'm assuming Frost Giants are quite intelligent," she said, giving him a very pointed look. 

Loki laughed. "Perhaps I did not inherit my intelligence from my father. Maybe my birth mother was extraordinarily smart?" 

"Do you know who she is?" 

Loki had always wondered about that. He didn't think he had simply been an anomaly. He thought his birth mother had been either Aesir or Vanir... or maybe even Midgardian. There  _had_ been a Jotnar invasion on Midgard. The question was, how did Laufey get him from her? Had she been in Jotunheim when Odin had stolen Loki? 

"I... I don't know. I wish I did. I wish I knew the circumstances of my conception. It might give me some insight into my life." 

Adrienne suddenly sat up and looked at him. 

"How would that give you any insight about your life, Loki? That has  _nothing_ to do with who you are. Are you saying that if you were a child born because of sexual assault, that you... weren't meant to be? Or if you were a child born because of some strange ritual that you somehow  _deserve_ the painful life you've had? That's utter bullshit! There are millions of children born because of those kinds of situations, and they rise above it. They  _thrive_. And you can too. You deserve better." 

She took his hands in hers. "Loki...if you want to know who your mother is, I will tear the world apart to help you find her, but if you're trying to find a  _reason_ for all of this pain... you won't find it there. It sounds like your adoptive father is a dick, and he deserves to be exposed for the worthless piece of shit that he is." 

Loki had a faraway look in his eyes. "I sometimes wondered if Frigga  _was_ my real mother. I couldn't think of a better reason for Odin to despise the Frost Giants so much. What if... what if Laufey had..." he shook his head. "I mean, why else would she spend  _so much time_ teaching me her craft? Why else would she be so willing to love me the way that she did? And if we're looking for someone intelligent... there is  _no one_ more intelligent than Frigga." 

He looked at his hands. "I  _wish_ she was my real mother." 

Adrienne could feel his anguish. It was thick and heavy, and it made her heart ache. 

"But Loki... she  _is_ your real mother. She didn't have to give birth to you to be your mother. Listen... here on Earth- Midgard- whatever you want to call it, we have  _millions_ of children who have been adopted, and we know that the people who care for us are the people who  _really matter._ Blood isn't everything. Frigga is your real mother, Loki." 

He didn't speak for a long time, and Adrienne was afraid she'd said something wrong. Perhaps there was some Asgardian  _thing_ about adoption...

"That's not what I told her. Just before she died, I told her that she wasn't." He looked down at his hands which were twisted together in the same way Frigga's always were when she was nervous. 

"I was angry with Odin for locking me in the dungeons. I was angry with her for claiming that I should take responsibility for my actions when  _he never did_. And when she called him my  _father_ , I snapped. I'll never forgive myself for that. The last thing I did before she died was make her cry." 

 

As they lay there talking, Loki's permanent illusion had crept back across his skin so that he appeared Aesir again. He supposed it was simply habit by now. Adrienne didn't comment, but kept tracing lazy circles on his naked skin. 

"You know, when we first started to talk about these things- New York, your fake death, your relationship with your family... I thought you needed those people to forgive you, but now-- now I think you really just need to forgive  _yourself_. Your mind must be so clouded with guilt and self-loathing, Loki. How do you live with it? It must be so painful." 

Adrienne watched as several emotions crossed Loki's stricken face. 

"Adrienne...I  _deserve_ to feel this way. I don't deserve forgiveness or happiness or...  _anything_. I have no idea why you care for me. It's a mystery to me." 

She smiled and kissed his cheek. 

"Because you see your mistakes and you're trying  _so hard_ to fix them. Your heart is so big, Loki. You pretend to be this heartless villain, but deep down you're...you're the softest, sweetest man I have ever met. I love you. I want to help you forgive yourself because sweetheart... the rest of the world has moved on. They forgave you a long time ago." 

 

 


End file.
